One of my very first public presentations, this was an internal training on Sales Techniques. It\'s on my list for a redo, as since this I have learned a lot more about presentations and powerpoint.
6. Old Brain vs New Brain in Decision
Making
New Brain
“thinks “
Middle Brain
“feels”
Old Brain
“decides”
7. Chocolate Cake and 7 numbers
Participants who had
been asked to
memorize a seven-
digit number were
much more likely to
choose chocolate
cake over fruit salad
than those who’d
been asked to
memorize only a
two-digit number.
9. Speak to the Customer’s Pain
What is the motivating
factor making them
change?
Understanding the
motivating influence
10. Pain of Change vs. Pain of Loss
The tipping point - when
the pain of remaining
where you are at is
perceived as greater
than the pain of
changing.
“Anything must be
better than this!”
12. Developing “Rapport”
Mirroring is a Pacing – similar to
human behavior Mirroring –feeding
characterized by back the subjects
copying someone experience to them
else’s body Leading – as you x
language or (which is
speaking pattern happening), so you
Mirroring is effective y (which is what you
until it’s noticed want them to do)
13. Listening to Build Rapport
People are
constantly telling
you how to sell to
them.
We don’t pick up on
the verbal and
nonverbal cues
people are giving us
if we are not
listening
14. People only remember how things
end
Colonoscopy example
One person had their
tube removed
immediately after the
procedure
Another had it
removed after a brief
rest
The one with the rest
in between rated
their experience
higher with less pain
and discomfort
15. False Memory – we are not a video
camera
We reconstruct events as we think they happened, often
times incorrectly. All it takes is someone
saying, “Remember what Frank did?” and we will
instantly add Frank into any memory.
“Remember that great experience you had with Delta
Dental on that claims issue?”
- If you say this, the broker will provide the name of the
group, the issue, tell you all about how well Delta Dental
Connect did. Except it didn’t actually happen.
Even a negative issue can be reframed into a positive by
saying, “ Remember how well we did on that?”
16. Framing and Reframing
Participants were asked to ―imagine that the
U.S. is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual
Asian bird flu, which is expected to kill 600 people.
Two alternative programs to combat the disease
have been proposed.
Assume the exact scientific estimates of the
consequences of the programs are as follows:
17. Framing and Reframing
The First group of
participants were given
the
following options:
Program A: "200
people will be saved"
Program B: "there is a
one-third probability
that 600 people will be
saved, and a two-
thirds probability that
no people will be
saved"
18. Framing and Reframing
The second group of
participants was
presented with the
choice between:
Program C: "400
people will die―
Program D: "there is a
one-third probability
that nobody will
die, and a two-third
probability that 600
people will die"
19. Framing and Reframing
In the first group, 72 percent of participants
preferred program A (the remainder, 28
percent, opting for program B).
In the second group, 22 percent preferred
program C, with the remaining 78 percent
opting for program D.
However, programs A and C, and programs B
and D, are effectively identical.
20. Drinking on a Discount
When participants
bought an energy
drink at a
discount, they
actually performed
worse on a puzzle-
solving task than
participants who had
paid full price for the
same drink.
21. Drinking on a Discount
This suggests the possibility that
drugs bought at a
discount, such as drugs from
Canada or generic versions
of brand-name
medications, might be less
effective even when they’re
otherwise identical.
Our unconscious belief equating
low price with low quality is
behind this effect—a belief
that works even though we
know on some level that it’s
not always true.
22. Eight Steps to Achieve your
Desired Outcome
I. Identify the Target Problem / Solution
II. Help your customer to see that continuing with
this problem will ultimately cost them
III. Have the Customer identify a preferred outcome
IV. Have your Customer identify the consequences
V. Confirm this is what they really want
VI. The sales rep must make sure the new outcome
is in the best interest of the customer.
VII. At the same time, do not judge.
VIII. Never tell the client they are wrong
23. Post Sale Blues
Buyers Remorse
Option Attachment –
“As soon as you make
a decision, the other
option looks better.”
Once a decision is
made it is vigorously
defended even if
wrong. Every comment
reinforces the original
belief, even it wasn’t
strongly held to begin
with.
24. Post Sale Blues
Anticipated Regret – “ Imagining the worst will
happen”.
Students were asked to imagine they had to take a
very important quiz. Half way to the quiz they were
told to imagine that they left their car unlocked. One
group was told to imagine their care being
vandalized. The other was told to imagine that they
returned to the car, found it locked, but missed the
quiz. Of those told that the car was vandalized, 69%
percent went back to the car. Those told they would
miss the quiz, 39% percent checked the car. The
Control group was 49%.
25. Post Sale Blues
Overcome these objections by clarifying what the
customer needs and why (as we did in the eight
steps), then use this as reinforcement later on.
―We talked about A, and the reason you wanted to go
with that option was reasons 1, 2, and 3.‖
Move them quickly through the deliberation
process.
Present the lesser of the two options first.
Don’t allow them to get attached to a multitude of
options. This creates anxiety in the client as they
watch them all close.
27. Techniques to Sell
Specific Instructions
are needed to
induce compliance -
you have to lay out
the process step by
step in an easy to
follow order
28. Sales Techniques
Up Selling – an attempt to have the customer
purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or
other add-ons in an attempt to make a more
profitable sale.
Value Added Selling – building on the value of
the product.
Behavioral Script – Imagining performing a
behavior changes people’s attitudes to the
behavior.
Endowment effect – consumer value something
more once they own it.
29. Sleight of Mouth
Sleight of Mouth techniques are unique
because your not discussing the product
They can be helpful in gaining control of the
conversation, defeating a counter argument
from your competition, or overcoming last
minute resistance.
30. Slight of Mouth (cont.)
For the purposes of this presentation, we will be
discussing only a few of these. Your packet
contains more examples.
Metaphor – tell a story which reframes the
belief
Consequence – talks about the effect of not
doing this thing
Another Outcome – show them another way
of thinking about the issue
31. Sullivan Nod and Non Verbal
Cueing
From the beginning of time, people have taken
cues from each other as survival trait. If someone
puts a sharp rock on the end of a stick and get’s
more buffalo, we want to copy that behavior as
soon as possible.
This is the biological origin of trends. Almost every
time we are in doubt, we look at what other people
are doing to see what we should be doing.
We look for clues in body
language, appearance, the way they hold
themselves, and just about anything else that
might help us.
32. Sullivan Nod and Non Verbal
Cueing (cont)
The Sullivan nod is a sales
technique used to create a
subconscious suggestion
to a customer to purchase
one particular item out of a
list of like items. It is used
most frequently by
bartenders and waiters
when reciting lists of items
(such as alcohol or wine)
in the hopes of getting the
customer to select a
particular brand.
wikipedia.com
33. Consensus Building and the Yes
Ladder
When people agree with Yes Ladder – technique
someone, they are where you ask a set
of questions where
presented a positive
the only possible
response as a reward. answer is “yes”. After
A every “yes”, look
feedback loop is visibly excited and
created pleased. Perhaps
where they are touch their arm or
rewarded for their show affection. Then
ask the “no” question
consent. and they will me
motivated to say
“yes”.
In the book Neuromarketing, the author tells a story about how he helped a homeless man make 10 times his usual take my changes a few words on his sign. The author met the individual outside a restaurant, where he was asked for help. The Author thought this over, and decided to ask the homeless person if he could instead change the sign he was holding. At first, the homeless man was reluctant until the author asked him what his average hourly take was. The author gave him 10 dollars, and said that if he homeless man’s income did not increase, he could keep it.After the meal, he came out to check on the man who ran up to hand him back his ten dollars. He had made almost ten times his normal hourly take just by changing the wording from: “Homeless Please Help” to “What if YOU were Hungry”
These will be the three general topics we will cover, time allowing. I’ve included materials that expand on some of the things we will be talking about in the handout. I’ve tried to make this fun, and to switch media often to keep this from getting boring.
New Brain thinks – processes rational dataMiddle Brain feels – processes emotional contentOld Brain decides – It takes into account data from the other two systems, but the old brain is the trigger. Concerned with survival and dealing with threats. Use the example of the stick vs snake – no time to make a conscious decision.So, why is this important to Sales? The natural notion is that we are making decisions based on logic. We aren’t and we never have. Have you ever put together a well thought out, logical argument that you just new would win over your audience, and then lose? The Old Brain, concerned with immediate survival, will win out every time.
Shiv and his coauthor, Alexander Fedorikhin, showed that participants who had been asked to memorize a seven-digit number were much more likely to choose chocolate cake over fruit salad than those who’d been asked to memorize only a one-digit number. Carrying a lighter cognitive load, the one-digit group had more brain power left to resist the lure of the cake. Those who had to memorize seven numbers immediately went with the Old Brains order to consume the chocolate cake.How many of us have just chosen something? Do we look at all the options, or do we just want to get our shopping over with?Tie this into Brokers, how if they have a lot of concerns or things going on it may influence their decision on which product to sell. If they are overloaded, their decision will radically change. You might even be the force doing it. Sending multiple options may mean the difference between them taking MCE vs DF. They may go for a simpler product or something with joint billing just because their minds can’t handle the load.
Understanding what is motivating a person to seek a change is vitally important, because then you can customize your message to meet his needs. It will increase their satisfaction with the purchase, and heighten their opinion of you as the sales agent.
A psychological contract is a series of expectations a client might have even before they meet you. They expect a certain look, a certain greeting, and to be treated in a certain way. This can be explicit or implicit. The process of psychological contracting is bringing this idea to the surface to be discussed.The reason this is important is you could lose a sale just by dressing casually when the client expected a suit. Or, vice versa. If the client has heard your easy to work with and fun you show up with a full suit, tie, and briefcase they may be disappointed. A client might think all barbers must have handlebar mustaches, and if they don’t, then they must be terrible.
With both pacing and mirroring, you can actually begin to change their pattern as well. Once you’ve got them in a state of rapport, break the pattern by doing something else, like switching your legs around or holding your arms differently. If they follow, you know you have their full attention and you can then make your most effective argument or pitch. With pacing, change your speed or tone. If they follow, you have successfully engaged them. if you have them solidly in rapport, you can them move the conversation to the topic of your choice.
Listening was already discussed in the presentation by Karen Roberts, but what does it mean to sales? People will tell us information like, “I want something that looks good.” Then we could sell them the best product on the market, but if it’s ugly to them, they won’t like it.In dental land, it would be like selling MCE to a broker that keeps saying things like “cost savings”, “sharing expenses”, “recession”, etc. He may say he wants MCE, but everything else he says points to DF.
Get more info from the Covert Persuasion book
Sneaky Shawn trick I should probably not be telling – I often times when I have a argument with Eligibility or Underwriting e-mail their supervisor saying what a great job the agent did. Almost all the time, the person I was in conflict with thanks me profusely.Shawn’s camping trip example . Draw on the board! Change media often.
Viewfinder neededTversky and Kahneman (1981) demonstrated systematic reversals of preference when the same problem is presented in different ways, for example in the Asian disease problem.
How you say it determines how people will react. By control people’s frame of reference, you can effectively move them closer to making the decision you want. If we had more time, we would have done this ourselves!
Framing really has nothing to do with the product, right? Wrong!
For example, Shiv worked with Ariely (and Ziv Carmon of INSEAD) on a series of studies that found a strange price-placebo effect: When participants bought an energy drink at a discount, they actually performed worse on a puzzle-solving task than participants who had paid full price for the same drink. “It turns out you end up becoming dumber if you buy the product at a discount,” Shiv says. That’s an astounding result in itself, and it also suggests the possibility that drugs bought at a discount, such as drugs from Canada or generic versions of brand-name medications, might be less effective even when they’re otherwise identical. But what’s behind this effect? The answer, it turns out, is our unconscious belief equating low price with low quality—a belief that works even though we know on some level that it’s not always true. “So when you get a drink at a reduced price, global beliefs get involved without you being aware of it.” According to researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the California Institute of Technology, if a person is told he or she is tasting two different wines—and that one costs $5 and the other $45 when they are, in fact, the same wine—the part of the brain that experiences pleasure will become more active when the drinker thinks he or she is enjoying the more expensive vintage
Eight Steps to Achieve your Desired Outcome (Covert with a little Neuro and OD)Identify the Target Problem / Solution (Identify the pain)Help your customer to see that continuing with this problem/ situation without addressing it will ultimately cost them (this is the showing them the pain stage)Have the customer identify a preferred outcome (it’s important to have the customer identify THEIR ideal solution instead of presenting one.)Help them identify the consequences (both good and bad)Confirm that the new outcome is what they really want.The broker/ sales rep / consultant must make sure the new outcome is in the best interest of the customer / client.Even though you are helping the client reach his own outcomes and stages by being reflective, you still have a due diligence obligation.At the same time, do not judge.Never tell the client they are wrong.
Up Selling – an attempt to have the customer purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable sale.Value Added Selling – building on the value of the product. Good example is hybrid cars. The inherent value of the product(the care) is still the same as any car. It moves a person from point A to point B. The value add can be seen in several different ways. The first is the obvious fuel savings. But there is also added value in less time spent at the gas station, and the cars pollute the air less than a normal combustion engine.Behavioral Script – Imagining performing a behavior changes people’s attitudes to the behavior. The more they imagine the behavior, the more their intentions align with the behavior. This has to be done in the first person, the client must imagine themselves doing the action and receiving the positive outcome. Typically this change stays for about three days.Endowment effect – consumer value something more once they own it. Works great with behavioral scripting.
Metaphor: I can’t help with this issue.SOW: My brother works full time and has a family, just like you. When I told him the real need we have here for help, he made time. He understood how important this was, and I know how valuable his time is to him.Consequence: I can’t buy that.SOW: Stop for just a moment and think about how believing that you can’t is deeply going to affect you. Do you really want to feel that way?Another outcome – It’s too expensive.SOW: It’s not about the expense, it’s about whether your satisfied in the future with the purchase.
Brokers and groupadministrators are often times watching yourbody language as much as your words.Think of a business meeting. Someone motions foryou to sit down. You do, but everyone else remainsstanding. They now ask for your presentation. Howwould you feel? You have been intentionally miscued.
A Sullivan nod is executed by nodding slightly, by approximately 10–15 degrees, when the item it is hoped the customer will choose is reached. The key is to make the nod perceptible, yet subtle, so as to not distract.You can do a verbal version of this one the phone. Just raise your voice slightly when discussing one product vs. another.
When someone agrees with us, we smile at them. We relax, or touch them. Because of this, people want to agree and will even agree to things they don’t like so the interaction will continue. One of the things we learn in influence which will be covered next is that there are factors like commitment and social proof where we will change our beliefs internally to match our externally stated beliefs.Person 1: I hate the color red.Person 2: (internally: I always liked red.) Yeah, it’s an ugly color.Person 1: It’s very rare to find someone who doesn’t like red. You’re a great person.Person 2: Yeah, red is terrible. (internally: Maybe red wasn’t so nice…)
This is a great example of the idea of consensus building…to steal from people.
Reciprocation. People are more willing to comply with requests (for favors, services, information, concessions, etc.) from those who have provided such things first. For example, according to the American Disabled Veterans organization, mailing out a simple appeal for donations produces an 18% success rate; but, enclosing a small gift--personalized address labels--boosts the success rate to 35%• Commitment/Consistency. People are more willing to be moved in a particular direction if they see it as consistent with an existing or recent commitment. Consider how small that commitment can be and still motivate change forcefully: Gorden Sinclair, a Chicago restaurant owner, was beset by the problem of no-shows—people who made table reservations but failed to appear and failed to call to cancel. He reduced the problem by first getting a small commitment. He instructed his receptionists to stop saying, "Please call if you change your plans" and to start saying, Will you call us if you change your plans?" The no-show rate dropped from 30% to 10% immediately.• Authority. People are more willing to follow the directions or recommendations of a communicator to whom they attribute relevant authority or expertise. One study showed that 3 times as many pedestrians were willing to follow a man into traffic against the red light when he was merely dressed as an authority in a business suit and tie.• Social Validation. People are more willing to take a recommended action if they see evidence that many others, especially similar others, are taking it. One researcher went door to door collecting for charity and carrying a list of others in the area who had already contributed. The longer the list, the more contributions it produced.• Scarcity. People find objects and opportunities more attractive to the degree that they are scarce, rare, or dwindling in availability. Even information that is scarce is more effective. A beef importer in the US informed his customers (honestly) that, because of weather conditions in Australia, there was likely to be a shortage of Australian beef. His orders more than doubled. However, when he added (also honestly) that this information came from his company's exclusive contacts in the Australian National Weather Service, orders increased by 600%!• Liking/Friendship. People prefer to say yes to those they know and like. For example, research done on Tupperware Home Demonstration parties shows that guests are 3 times more likely to purchase products because they like the party's hostess than because they like the products."
The key point is to show how people think and the role we have as Sales persons in assessing and engaging them.The buyer buys the seller not the salt.
