How to Use the 3 Fundamental Rules to Selling
nobody likes a used car salesman
Knowing and properly using the three fundamental rules to selling will make your advertising sound like it comes from a friend and not somebody trying to sell you a used car. This will increase customer engagement in your copy-writing.
The three rules
Before we can use the three rules to selling, we need to know what they are -
- People do not like the idea of being sold.
- People buy things for emotional, not rational reasons.
- Once sold, people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic.
With this newfound knowledge, let us dive into each rule with a little background and some examples on how to implement them.
People dislike pushy salesmen
Picture the last time you bought a car. How did the salesman approach you? Was it something like this?
I can see you in that car already. It was made for you. Let us talk about the options and how you can own this magnificent piece of machinery with easy payments. Let us get you in this piece of art right now, and you will drive off in your dream car by the end of the day.
Wow, with such an interaction, you are lucky if he asked you for your name and what brings you to the dealership. The entire conversation was about closing the deal. Your wants and needs were not even addressed.
If you did not like the interaction, what makes you think your customers would?
Know your customer
Before you can offer your product or service as a solution to your customers’ needs, wants, or pains, you need to know them.
Develop a customer avatar. Who is your ideal customer? Be as specific as you can. Do not concentrate only on the demographics like age, gender, marital status, and income level.
Get into the psychographics. These include personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. If you do not have this information, use yourself of somebody you know that uses the product or service as a base. You do use your own product …
Every purchase is emotional
You only need water, food, and air. So everything else you purchase is a want. This makes it emotional. Many people will argue that they bought something using logic. In reality, it is an emotional experience with the justification coming afterward.
Don’t believe me? The neuroscientist, Antonio Damasion, made a groundbreaking discovery when he was studying people that had brain damage to a particular part of the brain, the limbic system. In particular, the part where emotions are generated.
All the people that had brain damage in this area had one particular trait in common. They could not make decisions.
The problem was not one of logic. These people could describe what they should do in logical terms. They just found it impossible to make a decision. Even a simple decision was impossible.
So, all purchasing decisions begin on the emotional level, not the logical level.
People still need the reasons
Even though people make their purchasing decisions emotionally, they still need the “facts” as to why they bought something. They need to justify it to themselves, and more importantly, to others.
I think everybody has had a purchase questioned by someone near to them. Usually, something along the lines of “Why in heaven’s name did you buy that?” Think about the answer you gave them. Was it your answer or was it an answer that was mentioned in the advertising?
Still don’t believe me? Why do people buy a BMW? A car is a car. A Ford Fiesta gets you where you are going just as well as a BMW 525 and costs about one-third the price. So why do people buy the BMW? It isn’t because of logic. Don’t believe me, ask Mr. Spock.
The new pitch
We have done our customer research and know that our ideal customer for a mini-van is a family man with two preteen children. He is 30–35 years old, earns $45,000. His family is his first priority. He needs a multi-functional vehicle that is good for family outings as well as hauling big-ticket items for his growing family. I could go into more, like what club memberships he has, hobbies, children’s hobbies, and many more, but you get the idea. Oh, and because he is saving for college for his children, this mini-van will be the only vehicle for the family.
Are you looking for a multi-functional vehicle for you and your family? A car that not only has room for your entire family, and equipment for those family outings but has the flexibility of removing the passenger seats so you can easily transport the new washer and dryer you just bought?
Travel in comfort on your next family outing in a modern (insert make and model of mini-van here) with (list some features here). Easy and fun to drive. It handles like a sports car and has the safety features of a tank.
Of course, you can expand upon what I just wrote. Notice in just the first two paragraphs, I have pre-qualified my customer without selling to him. I asked him a question. Is he looking for a multi-functional vehicle? Either he is, and he keeps listening, or he is not, and neither of us is wasting our time.
I approached him on an emotional level — his family. Family outings and all the fun he will have.
I gave him some talking points that logically explain why he might need this mini-van. Handles like a sports car with the safety of a tank. The safety part could also qualify as an emotional point. Who does not want to protect their family? Plus all the features. I am already giving him the answers to other people’s questions, as well as giving him the logical basis he needs to justify spending so much money on the mini-van.
The takeaway
Speak to your customers as you would speak to a friend. A hard sell is not necessary. In actuality, a hard sell will raise the defenses of your customer.
Appeal to them on an emotional level. If you develop customer avatars for your ideal customer, it will be easier to do so.
Always give the facts or features so they can justify their emotional purchase afterward. Who knows, they might recommend the product to their friends using your talking points.
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Originally published at https://pivottowardsfreedom.com on December 14, 2020.