Ciamos

Bernadette Doyle

He may have played a geologist in the film, but he was a geologist who understood the art of persuasion. Evacuate? No! Consider the possibility of evacuating? Maybe. This technique is known as ‘Scaling Down The Request’ is a great way to get some form of agreement, even if your previous suggestions have been rejected. From any foundation of agreement, it is easier to progress the commitment in incremental steps. In his enlightening book on Persuasion, Robert Cialdini described this as the consistency principle. And when you fully grasp this principle it can transform the way you offer your services.

Most of us have experienced the frustration when sales conversations grind to a frustrating stalemate, but we can help our prospects move forward when we minimise the risk and offer them a chance to make a tentative step, rather than a huge jump. Here are three ideas to get you started:

1. Offer a ‘trial size’

‘Trial size’ is a favoured technique of FMCG companies – because it works – but you don’t have to be selling shampoo or snacks to make use of this technique. It works for those of us selling our services too. Create a ‘trial size’ version of your services that can be bought or you can giveaway free. The important thing is to make sure that at the end of your ‘taster’ you include an upsell to your complete programme and ask them to take action. (People who complain that their ‘taster’ sessions aren’t yielding results typically are forgetting to upsell at the end of the ‘taster’)

2. Find a way to package your tailored solutions into ‘off the peg’ offers

The fashion companies learned a long time ago, that there were greater profits to be made by selling off the peg solutions in larger quantities, than the rare haute couture piece one-by-one. The same applies to your service business too. Having to create a tailored solution for every new clients drains your selling time and limits the number of people you can serve.

Dismayed by the lengthy sales cycles I encountered when I started my training company in 1996, I was forced to package my bespoke training programmes into short one day open courses. Yet this step turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it unexpectedly helped me generate immediate cash-flow, and provided the opportunities for my potential clients to sample my services at much lower risk – both financially and emotionally. Finally doors that were closed started swinging open, and sales decisions that had been at stalemate miraculously became ‘unstuck’.

3. Restructure your marketing so that people take a series of small steps rather than one big leap

This is known as a marketing funnel. How the marketing funnel works is you attract new clients and prospects into your funnel, then find ways to add more and more value to them - and as the value increases, so does the price!

So for example, a series of incremental steps for your potential buyer might go something like this: request a free report, attend a teleseminar, arrange a one-to-one consultation…and so on. Some people balk at creating a marketing funnel because it seems like extra work – and frankly it does take a bit of creativity and planning. But the rewards are well worth it, because it means you create a buying process that prospects can move through at their own pace – and ultimately cuts down your selling time.

Remember, as with every idea I share in this newsletter, these ideas only work when you ACT on them, so commit to implementing one of these techniques right now, set a deadline and DO IT!!!

© 2007 Bernadette Doyle

Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter for trainers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then get your free tips now at www.clientmagnets.com