The interpersonal element of the function of selling would require every student of salesmanship a basic understanding of the anatomy of the customer’s decision making process. We ask ourselves - How does a customer decide? What motivates him to decide? What are the underlying factors that influence the customer’s decision making? What are the underlying psychological principles that can give us an understanding on how a customer feels, thinks and decides accordingly. As Holistic Business System, there is a science into it. In this chapter, we discuss the triggers of a sale through the science of psychology. The theories discussed in this chapter will provide the student a an understanding of how emotions and motivation are created. We aspire to understand the interplay of human thoughts and feelings towards the decision of a sale.
EMOTION
An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, often associated with mood, temperament, personality and disposition.
One of the reasons people make purchases is because of emotion.
Emotions:
Emotions of wanting: greed, hope, envy, desire, love, passion
Emotions of not wanting: fear, shame, repulsion, contentment
Emotions of having: happiness, pride, guilt, jealousy
Emotions of not having: anger, sadness, distress
Emotion of Fear: Fear of gaining weight, Fear of missing an opportunity, Fear of unemployment, Fear of death, Fear of a future price increase, Fear of what others think about them, Fear of the unknown, Fear of growing old, Fear of being alone, Fear of being cheated.
There are hundreds of different PHOBIAS that DRIVE people to make purchases.
People buy life insurance because they fear dying prematurely and leaving their family financially strapped. We buy exercise equipment because we fear gaining weight or getting out of shape. We buy alarm systems because we fear we are going to be violated in some way. We make a lot of purchases because of our fears, on things that are supposed to ease our fears.
Emotion of Passion: Passion for food, Passion for money, Passion for our children. Passion for our partner, Passion for our career, Passion for success, Passion for fame.
You and I make a lot of purchases based upon passion, desire or love. People buy food in many cases not because they are hungry, but because they love eating. People buy self-help books not because we need to improve our reading skills, but because we long to improve our lives. Fear and passion are the two biggest emotional buttons that cause people to make purchases.
Application:
Capitalize on a present emotion and match your product as a solution or answer to that prevailing emotion.
Appraisal Theory. The theory that postulates that emotions result from people’s appraisal of situations. Two Appraisal Models are as follows:
First Model:
Emotion Appraisal
Grief Loss of loved one
Fear Threat
Anger Obstacle
Joy Potential Mate
Trust Group Member
Disgust Gruesome object
Anticipation New Territory
Surprise Sudden Novel Object
Application:
Capitalize on positive emotions as Joy, Trust, Anticipation and Surprise to build a conducive environment for discussing agreeable terms.
Principle of REFERRALS
Many times we purchase based solely on a recommendation from a trusted friend, family member or associate. Referrals are SO important in business but most people never get them. How many times have you bought something because someone suggested it?
Application:
The immediate trust and confidence a referral establishes a good foundation to make a sale.
Second Model:
Appraisal Dimension Emotion
Desirable and Occurs Joy
Desirable and Doesn’t Occur Sorrow
Undesirable and Occurs Distress
Undesirable and Doesn’t Occur Relief
Emotional state is a significant area of concern in selling. Our client, a human person, is an emotional being. Emotions can energize or disrupt a person. It determines what we attend to and learn. Mostly importantly, it determines what kind of judgment we make of the world. There are two types of emotion – Instinctual, those that precede cognition and Cognitive, emotions based on cognitive appraisal .
Application:
1.In negotiation, build positive emotions and avoid negative emotions. Appeal to Joy, Trust, Anticipation and Surprise while avoiding Grief, Fear, anger and Disgust.
2. Emphasis should be given to positive emotion. If a salesman avoids emotions and fail to create Positive Emotions, chances are negative emotions will pop up. Immediately, it is the business of the salesman from the beginning of the negotiation to eliminate fear and doubt. Avoid rejection words and replace them with Positive terms. Eliminate words as Cost, Price, Payment, Contract, Buy, Sell, sold, sign, Sales Talk, Deal, Problem and Commission and replace them with words as Total Investment, Agreement, Own, Offer, Okay, Approve, Great, Presentation, Opportunity, Challenge and Incentive.
3. Do not miss the opportunity of building good emotions on your relationship with your customers by participating in Filipino occasions as Kasal, Binyag, Fiesta, Anniversary, Birthdays and other positive occasions without missing as well Pakikiramay during Libing and Buisness Losses.
4. The practice of Novel presentations as a well constructed power point presentation among sales professionals where surprise is a constant element in every phase of presentation is an application of this concept.
5. The effect of beautiful lady sales executives closing deals with male business people is an application of the positive emotion derived from ”potential mate-joy”model.
James Lange Theory. The theory proposes that emotions is caused by experience of bodily changes and that these changes can be brought about by changed situations. Such that we feel sad because we cry and we are angry because we strike. Thus the application of Laughter Therapy and Dance Therapy.
Application:
1. The exercise of smiling and laughter among many sales professionals is a manifestation of this concept. Positive emotions are developed with every incident of laughter and smile that we have with our client.
2. Commencing every meeting with a firm handshake complemented with a enthusiastic disposition, smile and a positive body language and positive words can influence emotion.
Cognitive Theory. The theory that supports the idea that emotions are caused by cognition in the form of judgment, evaluation and thoughts. Logic and reasoning appealing to the customers set of expectations is used in persuasion. Mental conditioning thru familiarization or repetitive exposure to conditioned contrast or relations.
Application:
1. A salesman proposing an inventory with the following spill: “ mam, this inventory will fix our Out of stock situation. It will prevent as well your suki from switching to other stores. Surely, you will not experience Opportunity loss with the availability of stocks.”
2. Benefit selling is an application of Cognitive Theory. A product proposed will benefit a customer or an organization. Its advantages or benefits will drive the customer into making a favorable decision.
Sixteen Basic Desires Theory. 16 basic desires that guide nearly all human behavior derived from a study of Dr. Steven Reiss. The third component of Professional Salesmanship which is Interpersonal provides a basic insight in the nature of the profession – the function of selling will always involve people. In Working With People, having a thorough appreciation of the Sixteen Basic Desires will equip every salesman an understanding of the motivational drive of people
- Acceptance, the need for approval
- Physical Activity, the need for exercise
- Curiosity, the need to think
- Eating, the need for food
- Family, the need to raise children
- Honor, the need to be loyal to tradition and ethnic norm
- Idealism, the need for social justice
- Independence, the need for individuality
- Order, the need for organized and predictable environment
- Power, the need for influence or will
- Romance, the need for sexuality
- Saving, the need to collect
- Social contact, the need for relationships
- Status, the need for social standing and importance
- Tranquility, the need to be safe
- Vengeance, the need to strike back
Application:
In developing relationships, an essential process in Philippines selling, a sales person must be equipped with the 16 basic desires to be able to manage conversations and a most delicate Filipino value called delikadeza. Unlike his foreign counterparts, Filipino business people expect a sales person to have the competence of anticipating emotional situations as palabra de honor, chivalry, respect for elders, seniority, pakikisama and other pang uugali.
MOTIVATION
Motivation is the activation or energization of goal oriented behavior. While emotion is a reaction towards the event, motivation is directed toward an object in the environment.
Motivation is rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure; hedonic continuum. It may include specific needs as eating, hobby, goal or a desired object or less apparent needs as altruism, morality and avoiding mortality.
Two types of Motivation:
- Intrinsic Motivation. Motivation that comes from rewards inherent to a task or the activity itself as the enjoyment of playing basketball.
- Extrinsic Motivation. Motivation that comes from outside the performer. Financial rewards being the most common.
Motivation through EXPECTATION
Herein lies a tremendous motivator for purchases. We buy based on what we expect to achieve from use of the purchase. In other words, we buy based on what we perceive will be the end result of that purchase. For example...
People buy exercise equipment because they EXPECT TO SEE THE RESULTS of weight loss, muscle tone and overall better health.
They buy grass seed because they EXPECT TO SEE THE RESULTS of a nicer lawn. They buy cookbooks because they EXPECT TO SEE THE RESULTS of nice meals and desserts.
They buy movie tickets because they EXPECT TO BE entertained.
We make a great many purchases because we expect to see some kind of desirable outcome as a result of that purchase. You aren't selling products or services, you are selling results. You are selling weight loss, not weigh loss pills. You are selling an education, not tuition.
People buy because they want results. Want to sell more? Start approaching your offer from the end and not the beginning. Ask yourself a simple question... ..."What does the prospect want to achieve with my product?" Focus on the results.
Application:
Don’t sell the product rather sell the end result of your product.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Safety; physiology; self esteem; belongingness and self actualization. Being familiar with this theory will equip the salesman the level of motivation he may use with his various customers.
Motivation thru Necessity
Let's face it, sometimes you and I buy because we NEED to buy. We need food, shelter, clothing. We need education. We need shoes. When my electric bill comes in each month, I pay it. I NEED electricity. Every 3,000 miles I pay to have the oil changed in my car because the vehicle needs it. We buy a lot of things because we need to.
The challenge in this approach is the creation of the need. Having mastered the applications of your product, you are the best person to prospect who has a need for it. Often, we need something but we don’t realize its urgency due to the load of information we encounter everyday. It takes a sales person to achieve this process of realization.
Application:
1. The talk of basic necessities as rice, electric bills and transport fare may be effective to a grocery store in a barrio and may not be effective for a supermarket owner in the city where self actualization is the owners level of need – the need for a legacy, the need for grand ideas.
2. Outright profit might appeal to some business people while others are more strategic in decision making. Example of which is a store might sell cigarette at a high price for immediate income while other stores will sell it a one peso margin per ream for strategic reasons appealing to its wholesale program.
3. A grocery store has a wide space at its main door. Pedro, an ice cream salesman, having been briefed about scooping operation decided to persuade Aling Nena to place an ice cream cabinet at the main entrance. He makes Aling Nena realize that her grocery needs an ice cream category.
3. A grocery store has a wide space at its main door. Pedro, an ice cream salesman, having been briefed about scooping operation decided to persuade Aling Nena to place an ice cream cabinet at the main entrance. He makes Aling Nena realize that her grocery needs an ice cream category.
Motivation thru logic
An appeal to logical motivation requires the presentation / communication of a product’s characteristic to fill in a business need of the businessman. Logically, the viability and profitability of the product needs to be presented so that the businessman will be convinced to invest on your stocks. These includes but not limited to - SRP, Profit Margin, Product Profile, Marketing Intent, Target Market, and Marketing Support.
Logic is computed according to value perceived. Value that may be computed according to Quantity or Quality. There are all ways of providing MORE quantity for the same price. And that, in our estimation, is a determining factor in how valuable something is.
After all - what's more valuable:
QUANTITY
Buy one Take one.
Free Pulutan for every beer bucket
Free 1.5 Coke for Family size Pizza
Free Recipe for every 1kilo purchase
Free Pulutan for every beer bucket
Free 1.5 Coke for Family size Pizza
Free Recipe for every 1kilo purchase
Free Delivery
Discounts
Volume Incentive
A detergent bar for P 15 or a detergent bar with Free 100g powder for P 15.
For the quantity conscious consumer, which is accounts for a majority of shoppers, that is a quantity increase.
QUALITY
Taste
Design
Processing
Packaging
Ingredients
Nutritional Value
The other measuring stick of value is quality. A safeguard soap cost higher than other brands but the quality of the product in its effectiveness in germs control
Mastering motivation will equip the sales person with the appreciation of customer behavior. The following are its effects:
- Direct customers toward particular objectives
- leads to increased participation and energy of customer
- leads to increased persistence in achieving objectives
- Enhances cognitive thinking
- Motivated people result to improved performance
Application:
1.. The practice of dinners and night outs in sales is a common application of this theory. Eating, the need for food, is a basic drive in people. Treating customers and influencers to a delicious dinner will create a Positive Emotion or impression.
2. The annual practice of awarding Plaque of Appreciation among valued customers is an application of “Status, the need for social standing and importance”.
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