How Persuasive Are You?

August 5th, 2010

By Tom Reilly, author of “Value-Added Selling”

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a client on the role of persuasion in sales. He shared with me his concerns that some people may be put off by the word itself. I have heard this often over the years. Some people view persuasion negatively. It is, if it involves manipulation, deceit, or intimidation. Persuasion is more than simply arguing someone into submission. Persuasion is a process of influencing others. We do it every day and in every area of our lives. Consider these key points. Persuasion is:

• One-part message, one-part messenger;
• One-part content, one-part context; and
• One-part reason, one-part emotion.

In Value-Added Selling, persuasion is customer-focused communication–a group of strategies to sell the buyer on the value in your proposition. Value-added salespeople personalize their communications to reflect the salesperson’s understanding of the customer’s needs, which makes it easier for the buyer to see the value. Value-added salespeople maximize their perceived value to demonstrate their products in their best light. This builds buyer expectations and anticipation. Who doesn’t want to be excited about things they buy? Value-added salespeople demonstrate their performance value to prove their worth to the buyer.

If you want to succeed in sales, you must master persuasion. If you want to learn more about this vital skill set, plan to attend Tom Reilly’s Value-Added Selling public seminar on September 1 & 2, 2010 at the Tom Reilly Training center in St. Louis, or pick up a copy of the new edition of Value-Added Selling (McGraw-Hill, 3e, 2010).

Get the latest Sales Bytes from Tom Reilly by subscribing to our RSS Feed.