This document discusses tactics for influencing buyers during the sales process. It outlines techniques like overcoming homeostasis by exploring a buyer's needs and problems. Summation is described as presenting sales points repeatedly over time or in different ways to increase their impact. The document also covers analyzing a buyer's reactions, dealing with resistance through understanding its psychological or logical roots, and using suggestion by focusing on benefits and indirect or positive wording. The overall aim is to help salespeople effectively navigate interactions with buyers.

1. THE SALES PROCESS
Part 2
TACTICS TO INFLUENCE THE BUYER
 HOMEOSTASIS
 SUMMATION
 REACTIONS
 RESISTANCE
 SUGGESTION

2. HOMEOSTASIS
(satisfaction with the status quo)
 « I don ’t need this product »
 « I ’m satisfied with my current supplier »
 « I have all I need right now »
What do you do if the customer resists change ?

3. OVERCOMING HOMEOSTASIS
Try this technique
 Explore the prospect ’s needs
 Identify the ones your product can meet
 Draw out his problems
 Ask what he ’s doing to solve them
 Bring out his needs and values
 this creates dissatisfaction
 he ’ll start listening
 you ’re increasing the chances of a sale

4. PLAN YOUR QUESTIONS
to fit with the person you ’re calling on
 By product or product category
 to disturb complacency
 to elicit data he has about the product
 to determine his need for the product
 By prospect category
Depending on WHO you ’re selling to
 different needs will emerge
 amount & kind of buying data will differ

5. OTHER KINDS OF QUESTIONS
Questions are useful tactical devices
 Preliminary
 Use fact not opinion
 Clarifying
 Fit the puzzle together
 Reverting
 Return to an item not adequately discussed
 Completing
 Get the full picture

6. SUMMATION
A repeated stimulus elicits a response
 a dripping tap
 an alarm clock
 a telephone
A sale is the cumulative effect of
a series of sales points

7. SUMMATION & THE SALESMAN
Summation can be temporal or spatial
 TEMPORAL
same stimulus, same location, different times
 a sales point is repeated at intervals
 SPATIAL
same stimulus, different locations, same time
 a sales point is presented in different ways
A given sales point can be expressed through
various phrasings

8. SUMMATION : WHEN AND HOW
When the prospect shows interest in your proposal
 Run through sales points using questions
 Note which ones appear to interest him
 These points will lead to a sale if accepted by prospect
 Take a single point
 Make an overall claim
 Follow up with a specific point
 When the prospect accepts that point
 Move on to the next one

9. SUMMATION NEEDS PLANNING
Every salesman should
 List all major sales points for his product
 Note alternate phrasings
 Use them during the interview
By knowing in advance what he ’s going to say, he can
 Adopt a natural & convincing manner
 Observe his prospect more closely
Note : the principle of summation applies between
as well as within sales calls

10. PROSPECT REACTIONS
The salesman ’s tactics
 Observe
 Understand
 Adjust to
the prospect ’s reactions

11. CLASSIFYING REACTIONS
 Positive
 any reaction favorable to the call objective
 Negative
 any reaction unfavorable to the call objective
 Voluntary
 pertinent comments, questions, objections
 Involuntary
 body language, spontaneous comments

12. SALES TACTICS
for positive reactions
The salesman adjusts his behavior to bring the
prospect nearer a close
 Positive voluntary
 move on to the next point
 close, if sufficient points have been covered
 Positive involuntary
 reinforce the point that prompted the response
 don’t move toward the close too quickly
 provide more information

13. SALES TACTICS
for negative reactions
 Negative involuntary
 change to another sales point
 if you don ’t, the reaction may become voluntary
 Negative voluntary
 assess the cause (personality, mood, co. policy)
 change the approach
Classifying reactions forces the salesman to
pay close attention to his prospect

14. SALES RESISTANCE
Verbal or nonverbal behavior that interferes with a sale
 Psychological
 Logical
 Deliberate
It ’s a signal that the prospect feels a conflict
between buying and not buying
Sales resistance is normal because it shows
the prospect is evaluating your proposal and
trying to relate it to his situation

15. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE
 Resistance to interference
 Preference for established habits
 Budget consciousness
 Tendency to resist domination
 Predetermined ideas about the product
 Dislike of decisionmaking
 Neurotic attitude toward money

16. LOGICAL RESISTANCE
 Price
 Delivery
 Specifications
or any other variable

17. DELIBERATE RESISTANCE
The prospect
 Observes the salesman ’s technique
 Belittles the salesman or the product
 Agrees with everything the salesman says
 Uses physical techniques

18. SUGGESTION
Uncritical acceptance of an idea
The buyer acts in accordance with
the wishes of the salesman
ADVANTAGES
 Saves time - there ’s no discussion
 Avoids friction between buyer & salesman
 Focuses on benefits only

19. OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUGGESTION
Suggestion takes place
 When reasoning is inhibited
 When there is dissociation
factors influencing suggestibility
 prejudice
 ignorance
 low intellligence

20. KINDS OF SUGGESTION
and when to use them
 Direct : appropriate for inhibition
Try this product
 Indirect : appropriate for dissociation
This product should solve your problem
 Positive
Order it today
 Negative
Don ’t put off ordering this

21. PRINCIPLES OF SUGGESTION
for use by salesmen
 Indirect is better than direct
 Positive is better than negative
 Prestige of the suggester is a key factor
 Several people suggesting the same thing is better
 Attention level is a factor in suggestion
 Absence of an opposing idea increases effectiveness
 Repetition increases the probability of a result
 Ignorance of the topic helps get an idea adopted
 A disturbed state increases suggestibility
 It ’s easier to suggest when a relationship exists already
 Wording of the suggestion influences the customer
 Seeing an act performed is a good motivator

22. SUGGESTION : OTHER USES
 Reassurance
 Testimonials
 Guarantees
 Comparison