A significant percentage of individuals who study persuasion and hypnotic language patterns are in the business of selling products and services to others.
Even if you are not in the business of selling, it would still be a good idea to learn this system because it can be applied to many situations; you just have to make the necessary adjustments to make the glove fit.
Phase 1: Initial Preparations
1. Make sure that you are mentally ready for the task at hand. If you are going to meet a group of administrators or project managers, be prepared to deal with their questions and your presentation should also be created in such a way that it will provide all of the information that your audience needs to make a quick decision.
By ‘presentation’ I refer to the content of your message during the dialog or interaction. If you are meeting with just one client you still need to think about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it.
2. One of the best ways to create a compelling and persuasive message is to use perceptual positions. When crafting your message you can’t put yourself in the center in the message. You are not the one who needs to be persuaded – you are the least priority.
The real priority is the other person; you need to determine his values and drives so you can say the right things to him. You also need to determine how your product or service is viewed by the client.
You might know just how good your product is but other people might have a different opinion. You need to identify this perspective and work on any potential objections even before you meet with the client.
Here are some things to consider:
a. What problem/s does the product/ service address?
b. What kind of results can the client expect when he does cash in on your offer?
c. In what manner must you articulate these benefits so that the client can make a fast decision based on the information you are offering to him?
Phase 2: Meeting the Client for the First Time
1. Before you even think of making any offer to the client, you need to make a clear connection with the subject first. In addition to creating rapport between you and the subject, you will also need to condition the subject to buy something from you. This can be done by triggering the law of reciprocity, etc.
2. After establishing rapport with the client, you need to make an offer he can’t refuse. This doesn’t mean that you have to give the person an unreasonable discount or a bonus that you can’t really afford to give. You just have to give the client or potential buyer a really good reason why he should buy something from you right then and there.
You must attach a lot of value (implied or otherwise) to your offer for it to work. Otherwise the client would probably have no problems walking away from you if he thinks that your product/service is not valuable enough.
You should also make it clear why the client should be listening to what you have to offer on that day. Use facts and statistics to boost your position in the interaction. Remember: if something can be verified easily, it can elicit agreement fast!
3. If you are going to one or more hypnotic language patterns, set them into motion early in the conversation to get things going. You can always repeat the patterns later on – don’t wait too long. If you can use the patterns in the first few minutes of the dialog (just to test the waters) then by all means, use the patterns.
But before you do this, make sure that you have practiced well before the actual conversation with the client. Do not practice the patterns on your client! If you make a mistake, that mistake may cost you a sale. Use the patterns only if you feel confident in using them.
If you are not confident and the hypnotic language patterns don’t feel natural when you say them, you probably need a few more sessions of practice. Don’t worry – you’ll get there eventually. Just keep practicing!
Phase 3: Uncovering the Needs of the Client
Client needs are essentially just problems waiting for solutions. These needs are windows of opportunity for a person who needs to sell a product or service.
While you can do a lot of research so you can have a general idea of what the client might need at the moment, it’s still better to get the information directly from the person. Here are some sample questions that help draw out these needs:
- How do you think your business would be faring in five years or ten years?
- What are your immediate goals and long term goals for your business?
- What system are you thinking of employing so you can achieve your immediate/current goals and your long term goals?
- What would be the consequences if you fail to achieve your current goals? What about your long term goals?
- If you do achieve these goals, what advantages would you get over your competition?
- Why is it so important for you to achieve these immediate goals? Why not set other goals instead?
- What values do you cherish the most in your current group of employees?
In addition to asking the client about his current needs, you can also phrase the questions in such a way that the client would also realize what would happen to him if his needs are not satisfied by a product or service that provides exactly what he needs.
Some of you might be wondering: what if the client doesn’t have an immediate need for what I am offering right now? If your client does not express a need for what you are offering, you must create the need yourself by associating his current needs with the problems that your product/service addresses.
Your product/service provides a solution to a problem. If that specific problem is not within the radar of the client, then you must put it there yourself.
That is the only way that you will be able to effectively pitch your product. If you don’t do this, your client would probably think that buying your service/product would be a complete waste of cash and time.