“Raise the Mood . . . Make the Sale.” This sales truism has been around for a long time, but all the research we have seen still supports it with vigor. Here’s why.
The buying decision is an emotional decision. Yes, the buyer analyzes the transaction intellectually, but at the moment of truth, the decision of whether or not to actually pull the trigger switches over to the emotional side of his mind and becomes a very personal moment of commitment. And when we are talking emotions, we are talking mood, so a positive mood is pivotal to the transaction moment. But it goes further than that.
A buyer’s mood is often going to be contingent on his relationship with us. Are we friends? Does he trust us? Have we established a pattern of positive encounters with the buyer, so that his mood generally lifts a few degrees when we are around?
Think about this in terms of your personal lives. Whom do you prefer to interact with . . . to hang out with? People who are negative and bring you down . . . or people who you look forward to talking to and seeing because they validate you, make you smile, inspire you and give you a lift? Older parents sometimes make this mistake . . . they want their kids to call more but then use the time on the phone to complain and dampen the mood. The resulting cause and effect is a negative circle.
I often tell people in my classes that there is a simple question they should ALWAYS ask themselves after a sales call or meeting. Do you think the buyer feels a little better, emotionally, than before you called or met? Maybe a compliment, a good story, some new information . . . anything to brighten his mood a bit. If the answer is consistently yes, you will always be welcomed when you call or meet with your prospects and clients.
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