Last month, we talked about the principles of persuasion. (click here if you missed it.) This month, I’ll show you how you can apply the principles of persuasion so you can be ethical and sleuth-like, and so you’ll always sell with integrity.
The following are 15 ways to dramatically improve your persuasiveness.
1. Your Office, Your Expertise – How did one therapy facility increase patients’ compliance with a physical therapist’s direction? They replaced the silly motivational posters in the exercise area with the physical therapist’s diplomas and other credentials. This reinforced the therapist’s expertise and subsequently took exercise compliance from 15% to over 34%.
You should do the same thing. If you have a college degree, consider hanging your diploma in your office. Have you attended training workshops, seminars or other education events and received a certificate?
How about your sales staff and techs? Any diplomas or training certificates or achievements should be posted near the front desk, in plain view of all customers. Show your credentials and watch your credibility increase substantially.
2. Consistency – You should own and use what you sell. What’s the best way to prove to others that you’re providing valuable products and services? Heed your own advice. You should ride on what you sell. Why? Well, what do you call a person who says one thing and does another?
3. You’re Like Me? Hey, I Like You! – When working with customers, find something in common to talk about. The research on this is crystal clear. We want to do business and spend more time with people we like and respect, especially people who are like ourselves. Regardless of what that similarity is (sports, politics, your son’s pee-wee team – whatever), any genuine similarity that leverages the principle of liking is good.
4. Great Tires! An Excellent Selection – Have you ever been to a restaurant and ordered the salmon only to have the waiter compliment you on your selection. “The salmon is an excellent choice, sir.” Now you and I both know that guy is saying the same thing to every other person in that restaurant, regardless of what they order. But there is something to the human condition that supersedes that knowledge. Even though you know this waitperson is probably paying that same compliment to others, somewhere deep down inside your mental conversation replies with something like this: “It is a good choice.”
So, how can you use this to help you dramatically improve your sales success? When you first meet new customers, find out what they are interested in and compliment them on their selection. Again, they can be looking at anything in your store: tires, shocks, brakes, wiper blades, whatever. So pick out the positive and tell them, “Great choice!” And then tell them why.
5. Reciprocity: The Cosmic Force of the Universe – The principle of reciprocity is the idea that people repay others in kind. What does this mean to you? You get what you give. So give the gift of your attention, energy and enthusiasm for the people with whom you are working and, guess what? They will be enthusiastic about you and what you have to say. So, increase your energy level, look your customers in the eye, smile and laugh, and be ecstatic that they are spending time with you; they will be more inclined to be happy and enthusiastic about what you have to say, as well.
6. Want to Increase Your CSI? – How do you get more customers to fill out your customer experience forms? All you need to do is say something like, “Not only are we concerned about your experience, but so is (insert tire brand here), so promise me you will return the form.” To which most customers agree and say, “Yes.” And what you’ve just done is win/win. It’s a win for the companies because they get more forms and more data. And it’s a win for your customers because they now feel their input is vitally important – that you and (fill in the brand here) value their opinion.
7. Small Commitments Lead to Larger Agreements – Sales success is really predicated by small agreements, not some big score in terms of closing questions. Here are some small agreements you might use:
Day off?
May I show you something cool?
May I ask you some questions about your experience?
What prompted you to buy your tires/service from us?
What have you liked about your experience?
What could we have improved?
We can use agreements like these without “selling.” Ignore this psychology at your peril.
8. The Language of Experts – When you are in your store, you are the expert. Use the language of expertise. Recommend. Suggest. Advise. These are words that connote your knowledge and dramatically increase the likelihood that people will comply with your requests.
9. For Me? Thank You! – Disabled veterans were having an 18% response rate with their direct mail efforts. They changed one thing and increased their success to well over 30%. What was the one thing they did? You guessed it: They included self-addressed return labels in their mailings as a gift to the recipient. They literally gave a useful gift benefiting the recipient, which, in turn, benefited the charity.
What can you give? On the sales floor, your gift may be a brochure, a pen or a high quality key fob. The other idea to keep in mind is the effort in a gift. If I’m showing a customer tires in the showroom, I take the tires down from the display and then leave them out while working with this person. Why? The customer looks around and may think, “Man, this guy is really working for me!” And I am. Then he or she may give me more time and attention or, perhaps, more business!
10. Present Your Most Extreme Offer First – How do you dramatically increase the likelihood of your success? Present your most extreme or expensive item first. Why? Because customers may say yes, and when they do that’s the clear coat on the paint job. And if they don’t, then you can retreat with your next package. This is called concessional reciprocity.
A researcher tested this on the streets of Phoenix. Research assistants asked passersby, “Would you like to be a chaperone on a day trip to the zoo for our group of juvenile delinquents?” As you may imagine, 83% of people said, “No.”
The next groups of passersby were asked, “Excuse me, would you like to be a Big Brother or Big Sister for a juvenile delinquent in the Phoenix area? It’s a two-year commitment which requires at least four hours every other weekend.” People were aghast. Two years! Four hours! No!!!
And when the people said no, the researchers simply asked, “Really, well then how about being a chaperone on a day trip to the zoo?” More than 60% asked, “Where do I sign?”
11. Leverage the Principle of Scarcity – If you have a particular product or service not available anywhere else, highlight that exclusivity. It may be a certain brand or model of tire, a special service, or a particular promotion. Doesn’t matter. Customers like the idea of “being exclusive,” and are more apt to pay good money for the honor.
12. Use an Evidence Binder – Third party comments leverage social proof. When you can show how other customers have benefited from your products and services, this can have a dramatic effect. Get testimonials from customers and use third-party articles from the media.
13. Use Loss Language – As you move from more expensive to less expensive items with customers, use what experts call “loss language.” People are much more driven by what they stand to lose vs. what they stand to gain. So when you describe a less expensive item, describe what benefits will be lost. Some people have suggested that this isn’t a quality method because the customer hasn’t purchased anything yet, therefore, they literally haven’t lost anything yet. I disagree. We are talking about the customers’ future state. If they choose a lesser item, they are losing the potential protection of the better product.
14. All the Kids Are Doing It! – Point out other customers who have taken advantage of what you’re talking about. Talk about how many people purchased such and such tire from your dealership. Talk about how many have benefited from your service experts. Talk about how many customers purchase your pre-paid maintenance plan. Talk about how many employees in your dealership have training (ASE, TIA, etc.) credentials. Talk about unique awards and honors your dealership has earned. Make customers feel like they’d be missing something if they didn’t buy from you today.
15. Consistency – Do what you say you’re going to do. If you want to have a great, long, successful career as a tire dealer, you need to do what you say you’re going to do. If you promise to help the customer, do it. When the customer wants or needs a particular tire that is on backorder, stay on top of it and deliver. If the customer is picky about how service work is done, follow instructions and then make sure the vehicle is extra clean when it’s ready for pick-up. If you promised to be available after the sale…you get the point.
There is an art and science to persuasion. Understanding the above 15 ways and applying them to your dealership can yield huge returns to your customers, your business and your profits.
An award-winning author, top-rated trainer and founder of Peak Dealership Performance, Mark Rodgers holds a master’s degree in adult education, and the National Speakers Association Certified Speaking Professional designation.
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What’s missing here? Even the nicest customer waiting areas are a great place to display your store’s expertise and leverage its persuasive power.
