Month: January 2013

I am constantly amazed by the wonder of who we are, how we, humans can stretch to achieve. Training for and running my 1st marathon a few years ago was probably the best lesson for me in findiing out that my body is capable of more than I immediately think possible. It was mostly mental with my body stretching to do what the brain asked. Provided it was gently exposed to it. In a similar Do you know anyone who consistently wakes up 5 minutes before the waking alarm rings? Or anyone who looks up to find another staring at them? Or consistently asks for a person just before that person knocks on the door? I had a spine-tingling experience yesterday when I changed the music I was listening to from Afro to Japanese flutes , just before I met a Japanese man. Was this mere coincidence or was my brain picking up information from the environment long before my conscious mind became aware? What is your experience and your take on it?

I now know that the success of selling rests on the psychology of the sales person. Whilst certain people have this ready-made psychology, for others, belief that it is possible to choose one’s attitude and behaviour is necessary. The psychology I am referring to is the desire to make a sale and behaviour aimed at making this desire happen. When I have observed it, the sales person acts like they have authority to be the centre of attention and filled up the space. Once in the centre, she occupied that space until ready to vacate. This surprised the would-be customer and so grabbed their attention. This applies equally to a marketing presentation to a group and a 1to1 transaction. The good sales person then seeks to understand the emotional reasons why a would-be customer would buy. Not just the desire but the positive or negative feelings that are driving the desire. Successfully exposing these feelings cause discomfort which can be eased by taking action to retain or to get rid of the feeling. Such as making a purchase..

Let’s face it, selling, however packaged, is about asking customers to part with money in exchange for goods and/or services. However politely it is done, the sales person acts like they have a right to close the sale once the need is established and commitment is established that the would-be customer desires the goods or service. The majority of customers would want to make the decision in their own space and time but the “hungry” sales person wants certainty and a commitment on the spot. An immediate commitment requires that the potential customer has all the information they require to make a decision and access to the resources for the purchase. The sales person, then just pushes for action, sometimes ignoring hesistancy. It helps if the sales person offers an incentive to reward an immediate decision.