How to Influence the Sales Process

As some of you may know for the past several years I have been teaching the Martial Arts, one of the topics I focus on is how to talk yourself out of a bad situation.  Some people may know this under a different name, verbal de-escalation. The trick to effective verbal de-escalation is to use empathy.  Granted this may sound funny but when you utilize empathy against an aggressor you stand a pretty decent chance of awakening their “human side” and getting out of a tight spot.  Now you may ask what does this have to do with sales?  Well, actually a lot!

Customers don’t want to talk to salespeople who don’t understand their situation.  Instead they want to work with people who not only understand the difficulties, but they also empathize with their situation. Sadly too many entrepreneurs are over-zealous about their product and push it onto someone instead of selling it. Keep in mind customers want you to feel their sense of urgency. The tightness of their situation and want you to feel what is at stake when they make high-risk buying decisions.

Salespeople can’t fake pretending to empathize, people are too smart for that and will see right through you. If you want to show a customer you truly understand their pain requires you have to walk in their shoes and see things from their perspective, not yours!!

No doubt many of you are saying, “That’s easier said then done”.  And have convinced yourself you can’t empathize with the prospect.  I have no way of knowing what they go through!”   Right?  Wrong!  You can empathize.   Try this exercise:

- Do you worry about making money?

- Do high-risk decisions scare you?

- Do you have a mortgage or other bills to pay?

- Have you been burned in the past?

- Are decisions overwhelming when there is a lot at stake?

Odds are you answered ‘yes’ to most or all the questions, guess what you can ‘empathize’ with top decision makers frequently deal with. 
 
Therefore keep in mind if you are squeamish about meeting with a buyer remember the person sitting across from you has problems just like you and they need to solve them.  They need a solution which is why they will meet or speak with you.   Potential customers are not weirdo’s who possess omnipotent power over you and your future.  Empathy breaks down walls. Never lose sight of the obvious. Show potential customers you have thought about their problems and have come to present some answers on you can help with their problems.

The formula is simple: if you empathize you can influence.