Whether you’re an established business, or a brand new startup looking to build your clientele, psychology can help you close more deals. Sales psychology is a powerful tool that you can use to land more sales and get noticed by customers and clients. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and anyone that tells you that you can sell anything with just a few psychological tricks is false, demeaning to customers, and probably a sales pitch in and of itself.
Above all, the most important rule out of any others listed in this article is to believe in your product. If you aren’t convinced, your client won’t be. Belief translates confidence, and confidence translates to sales. It sounds like a Pinterest-worthy buzzword, but belief is a powerful sales psychology tool that can make your job easier. If you don’t believe in it, don’t try to sell it. Customers can smell disinterest from a mile away.
Make it Worth Their Money
Customers like good value. In today’s economic climate, people are more comfortable spending money if you make them feel like what you’re given them is worth their money. But what is value? It’s such a nebulous, subjective word, isn’t it? Since it’s been so overused, it can be hard to define value, and even harder to implement it. It’s not just packing the most product into the smallest possible price—it’s about the customer. Making the customer feel like their dollars actually bought something useful is key to closing more sales, and that’s a purely individual endeavor. You need to be able to see the value in what you’re selling, and in turn translate that value to your customers, letting them buy with confidence.
Social media is king in this digital age. The internet has made it faster, simpler, yet significantly harder to get your product noticed. Being fluent in social media really can change the sales outlook for a company. However, don’t just use social media to promote your product—use it to share customer’s experiences. Testimonials are critical to landing a deal with certain new customers, and they want to see that others have not only used, but gotten their money’s worth out of your product. Using social media effectively to get to know your customers makes them feel special, like they aren’t just a sale to you or your company. It’s also helpful to you! It’s easier to offer someone targeted products if you know their tastes and personalities.
Have a Brand Customer’s Can Identify With
One of the best ways to get ahead is by having a strong brand. If a customer feels that they identify with a brand, they are more likely to stick with that company and do more business with them. The key to a brand is to identify your target audience and stick with it. Make sure you can sell to a demographic before you try to sell to everyone. Are you selling a webinar series that would be great for college students and fifty-somethings looking to get out of the rat race? Can you sell to kids and grownups alike? Why should you? Building relationships within your demographic will pay off big time as word-of-mouth spreads. Making customers feel like you understand them and their values is critical to better performance.
Embrace labels as part of your branding efforts. Companies do it all the time, and that’s because it works. Don’t be afraid to get specific. This product is for athletes, nerds, geeks, preps, etc. Is your brand targeted to young professionals? Get to know them. If you are in your own demographic, well then what are your values? How do you identify? Use these powerful social identifiers to land sales and customers.
How are you different from everyone else? Separating yourself from the crowd isn’t just difficult, it can seem downright impossible sometimes, especially when every company has a Facebook, a Twitter, a blog. Getting noticed means that you have to think of something that does set you apart from the competition. Maybe it’s your brand’s aesthetic. Maybe it’s your commitment to using environmentally-sustainable ingredients and materials. Maybe it’s that you take care to remember clients and customers.
Let Mystery Advertise for You
Mystery and speculation are a rarely-used trick that can have big implications. What happens whenever a new viral video blows up on Youtube? Everyone asks what it is about that video that’s so special. Think of Casey Neistat’s daily vlog—everyone wants to know what camera he uses. How has be become so successful? How does one do what he does every day? Use mystery to your advantage. If no one knows what you’re doing or how to do it, speculation will become your greatest advertisement and get you all the free publicity you could ever ask for, sometimes more than paying for it.
You Scratch Their Back, They’ll Scratch Yours
Master the powerful sales tool that is reciprocity. Basically, if you scratch a client’s back, they’ll scratch yours. If you give someone a free sample, buy someone lunch, or do them a favor, they’ll feel more obligated to buy something. This can be a driving factor behind sales, but don’t give things away expecting a return every time. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. In fact, you’re better off just giving things away because you like them or you genuinely think that it will be useful.
Don’t give too many options, either. Too many options can make people freeze up and make it difficult for them to make a decision at all, something called “action paralysis.” This paralysis can be devastating to your sales. The buzzword solution for this problem right now is “curation,” meaning that each client or customer gets a selection of products and services tailored directly to them.
It’s also important to give prospects a way out. Sometimes, people will listen to your pitch or check out your product out of a sense of obligation, but aren’t actually interested in buying. Don’t corner clients and customers like wolves in the forest, but remember to treat them like you would like to be treated. If you’re running an Ecommerce site, give customers the option to opt out throughout the checkout process. Gauge a customer’s mood and demeanor throughout your interaction.
Final Word
Sales can be a tiring, difficult job, but using these sales psychology tricks will help you gain ground and get results. Remember that at the end of the day, you’re not some sales shark out to get that last dollar, but an entrepreneur trying to curate a connection with a loyal clientele that will come back to you time and again for their needs. Customers are smart, and if you use these techniques, make sure you’re using them correctly and for the right reasons.
Lastly, let me know your thoughts and what other tips for sales psychology that has helped you. Leave a comment below and I look forward to hearing from you.