Are you good at sales ?

From both a highly evolutionary and subsequently modernised model of attraction in human beings we are all looking to buy from people with one ultimate quality:

Certainty.

We are attracted to certainty more than any other quality because it portrays to us a sense of ensuring we’ll be looked after. A sense of being able to rely on the confident man or woman in front of us. A sense of ensuring our survival as an evolutionary being.

But as we move away from the traditional sales models that were fed to us through the 80’s and 90’s suit, tie and Rolex watch ideal of a salesperson we begin to realise that the portrayal of certainty is delivered in a variety of different ways – and in fact lies on a spectrum that induces a buying state ranging from highly emotional to highly logical mindsets.

Through the use of the Tonal Persuasion Method for Sales, we are given the opportunity to take a look at two commonly expressed versions of certainty, both of which sit at opposite ends of the selling spectrum, but have their own selling qualities and unique abilities.

Of course we still have the typical Alpha Male archetype – often seen at the front of business development training rooms or hyped up financial abundance seminars – creating certainty and delivering a proposed confidence that has people saying ‘I could be that, too’.

The Action Taker archetype screams and oozes certainty for the buyer that knows they need to take action in order for things to change in their life.

• They are the ultimate results achiever.
• They invoke an emotional response in their buyer effortlessly and easily.
• They have high standards for themselves and expect you to do the same – life was never meant to be lived at half-pace.

The Action Taker knows that without either positive or negative emotion coursing through the veins of their prospective buyer, there will never be enough gusto in the engine to get the sale evens started, let alone finalised and over the line.

The typical Action Taker sales master can expect to attract the type of buyer most easily that likes to make decisions quickly, based on pre-determined criteria or requirements – all it takes is the charismatic splash of ‘if not now, then when?’ actionable attitude and the dotted line will be signed.

If you as a salesperson are noticing the emotional needs of your buyers going unmet – leading to significant dollars being left on the table – then its time to include more of the Action Taker into your sales approach, here’s how:

# 1. Raise your standards even further
This can either be in the form of raising the standards around who can use/buy your product or service, or in raising your own personal standards as to what you’re aiming to achieve as a salesperson. This will result in your buyers realising they need to ‘lift their game’ if they are to be ‘deserving of your product or service’. How will they show you they are worthy, you ask? By buying.

# 2. Build the pain
Quite often in order to take action we need to be reminded of how much it is costing us to stay in the same position we are in. Be OK with having the ‘tough’ conversation with the buyer that they needed to hear in order to take action. You’d be surprised at how appreciative the majority of buyers are to have a real conversation with the person selling to them – it helps them to realise that their decision matters, so it needs to be made now.

# 3. Invest in yourself and your own life enjoyment
There is no substitute for walking your talk in the modern sales world. If you want those around you to take action on your product, then there are no prizes for guessing what you also need to be doing yourself. If what you sell requires your buyer to value growth, then ensure you are constantly growing yourself. If you want them to take action today, then ensure you are the type of person that would do the same.

Have your buyer know that ‘If I take action like them, I could be like them.’ That’s more than often enough to get the emotions running, and the purchases made. Of course, if you find that building the emotional component of the sales conversation is easy and effortless then it may be the logical side of the equation that is slipping through the cracks:

The Fair Player – Leading the Logical Sale
We also see certainty delivered by those that portray the idea that there is more than enough to go around without having to be the dominant factor in the room.

And as far as the Tonal Persuasion Method for Sales is concerned, it comes in the form of the Fair Player Archetype – comfortably sitting at the logical end of the selling spectrum.

They exhibit certainty to their potential buyer in a way that allows them to feel a sense of complete understanding and appreciation for their current situation. They ensure that all the logical requirements of the purchase are air-tight in the buyers mind. It’s the voice that comes to mind when you hear, “Youi, we get you…” They provide a sense of certainty in the knowledge that the numbers add up perfectly, so we will be safe in making a decision. They make the idea of buyer’s remorse a thing of the past.

Any sales jet predominantly utilising the unique selling qualities of the Fair Player throughout their presentations, pitches or conversations can expect to attract the buyer that is looking for a fair deal. They will sell easily and effortlessly to people who are willing to spend more for better quality, as long as both parties can be trusted to keep their end of the agreement.

If you’re finding your buyers are getting emotionally hooked on your product but either aren’t using it (leading to damage of your brand) or are bringing it back for a refund because they got ‘swept up in the moment’ then the Fair Player archetype can be brought into your sales game in two highly effective ways:

A) Approach the sale from a logical ‘return on investment’ point of view.
If the numbers add up to help your buyer make their money back within an effective timeframe then the purchase becomes an easy decision, don’t you think? Ask this of course, in a ‘Fair Player’ tonality.

B) Allow the buyer to justify to you why they need your product or service.
One of the common qualities of ‘bad sellers’ is that they are talking far too much. They feel as though its their responsibility to tell the buyer why they should buy a particular product or service as opposed to asking questions to discover whether or not its even a match to begin with! Instead of breaking into song and dance and hoping something sticks, simply ask your prospective buyer questions that qualify them directly into buying.

For example ask:

“I’m curious, what was it that lead you to contact me specifically?”

Or say, “I get that this is important to you, but you also could have bought this a few months ago and you never did, why does it matter more to you now?”

By answering questions like these, your buyer will be justifying to you why they need to buy from you. That’s much easier than the song and dance, especially if we suck at dancing.
Moving forward, take the time to assess where you may sit on the spectrum. Is it time you brought in either more logical or emotional qualities to your sales approach?
Who are your typical buyers, and what would that suggest about who you most often attract and convert? Have a great month ahead in sales and close the year strong, it will prove to be a highly logically and emotionally satisfying move.