The story goes like this…
Once upon a time, I was talking with a friend about how amazing yoga is and I knew she has always wanted to get a better-shaped body, so I share about my yoga experience.
“Oh, I wish I could be as disciplined as you are.” She commented
“Well yea, I really see the benefit of yoga once I stick to it and consistently show up for 1–2 yoga classes every week.” I replied.
“Yea, true. But I don’t have enough energy after work.”
“Well why don’t you go on Sat and Sun?”
“I need to accompany my husband / kids / family / friends / work. I am too busy for it.”
“It’s just 1 hour. I’m sure you can give yourself the time to refresh and rejuvenate. I promise you’ll feel energised and re-charged afterwards.”
“Yea, but I’m just not as disciplined as you are. I can’t keep it up.”
“Well, why don’t you try for 1–2 classes first to see if you like it. It’s very affordable. You can decide on the membership package later. I know you really want a better-shaped body and yoga is really the best exercises for this. Look at my arms now!”
“I know… yea, maybe I’ll try it later.”
And then the conversation drifted to other things.
I felt frustrated and tired trying to tell and persuade people, especially when I know that a solution can help them but they are not willing to try it.
Here is what I have learnt in life and business: you can tell someone 100 reasons for doing something to try to sell them on taking action.
Yet, no matter how good your reasons or the solution is, or how heartfelt is your pitch (that you really care about solving their problem), this chasing method just don’t work.
People, including ourselves, hate to be chased, to be sold to.
This “I’ll tell you the benefits and persuade you to take action” just don’t spark motivation within that person being sold to.
In fact, they feel like they are being forced into doing something.
And nobody likes to be forced into doing something.
Even if you lay out all the steps and make it as easy and low-risk as possible (first, take 1–2 trial classes, then if you like it, you can buy the membership package), people are just not going to do it if they do not want it themselves.
If you are running a business right now with a service or product to see, this article is for you.
Psychology of sales is one of the most important lessons I have learnt in my business journey.
There are too many people teaching sales scripts.
I have personally tried a bunch of these scripts and here is the problem: I sound more like a robot than a human.
I almost feel like recording what I say and just play the recordings to my potential clients and they will automatically sign up (if the sales scripts work).
Think about our own experience, do we like to listen and talk to robots?
Whenever I call the bank number, the automatic voice menu never failed to annoys me.
If we don’t like to speak with robots ourselves, why do we want to be a robot to someone else?
Another issue worths mentioning: if sales scripts work, why would any business go bankrupt?
If there is a PROVEN sales script that works, why would any entrepreneurs fail?
If only sales scripts work, why would there be any poor people on the planet?
I hope by now you can start to rethink the value of a sales script.
Learning how to sales is important but if you think that a proven sales script is the magic potion that can help you build a 6-figure business, it is time to ask more questions.
If sales script is not reliable, then what now?
What can we do to improve our conversion rate and sell better?
Here’s the principle that stand the test of time — historical great salesman has used this to achieve unparalleled sales record and result — and it is: human psychology.
Any purchase decision stems from a feeling of need.
“I think I need this, so I buy it.” that is the subconscious dialogue.
And we may find more reasons to justify the purchase decision, for example “this is new”, “this is convenient”, “this is more beautiful than what I already have”, “this has more functions”, “I can earn more / become prettier with this”.
Bottom line: “I need this thing.”
The sales psychology is a study of how human makes purchase decision.
When we understand what makes us want something, we can package our offer in a way that sparks the desire and needs.
There is only 2 ways to sell: one, outbound — you are the active speaker telling people all the amazing things that will happen when they buy your product or services. Two, inbound — you ask questions and create content that sparks desire for people to come to you with a need unfulfilled.
Which one would you prefer?
There is no right or wrong way or good or bad way.
There is just the better way for you.
Most of us only know about the outbound way because it is widely practised. Yet, with the technology advancement, intense competitions and all sorts of substitutes available, the conversion rate of outbound sales and marketing has been dropping.
Just like the story at the beginning of this article, we all know the benefits of exercising. We can easily go on Google to find out the benefits of yoga in 3 seconds.
Information is cheap in this day and age.
People don’t need more information. In fact, we already suffer from information overload where we have too much information to digest that we are practising our filters every day.
On the other hand, not many people are practising inbound sales and marketing because of several reasons:
(a) it generally takes longer at the beginning and most people want immediate result. When people don’t see result within 3 days, they deem it useless or not working (while in fact, it is growing its root under the soil).
(b) not many people teach inbound sales because most people have the impression that sales is all about talking, talking and talking. The more you talk, the more people are going to buy from you. The impression is caused by extrovert sellers who practice outbound sales because this is a better style for them. So not many people know about inbound sales, let alone teaching it.
© There is almost a security in talking a lot in sales. You have to hustle to get sales. You have to do the hard work to get sales. Those are some of the beliefs that you may have that blocks you from having the confidence that sales come to you easily and with integrity. You may find out that your current style of selling is not for you when you find yourself cold-calling, cold-messaging and feel this is not you.
Bottom line: everyone has a choice to decide whether they are going to buy from you or not.
The easiest way to make sales is when you spark a need or desire in your potential customers and then you present your offer (which is the solution to their need).
Share with me your biggest takeaway or learnings on the psychology of sales!
