| And and But | | | | You can use anchoring in selling by establishing a |
| Vicky Pollard is making the word "but" celebrated | | | | physical movement or sound for a particular |
| in comedy circles. Yeah, but, no, but yeah, but | | | | instance and then re-ignite the moment later to |
| no.... | | | | allow the customer to re-visit the feeling or |
| Surprisingly the word but has enormous powers | | | | thought they had. I'd better give you some |
| as it draws your attention. Unfortunately we use | | | | examples. |
| the word "but" to draw someone's attention to a | | | | You start the meeting and during your |
| negative. | | | | "signposting" you assure the customer that they |
| "The product will work here but the feature set | | | | don't need to worry about making hasty decisions |
| isn't quite appropriate." | | | | but you will ask them at the end of the meeting |
| "The benefits are numerous but my fee is | | | | whether they want to go ahead or not. You say |
| £x" | | | | "on one hand you could say yes (holding up your |
| The trick is to replace the word "but" with "and" | | | | right hand) or on the other hand you could say no |
| to minimise the impact, or turn the sentence | | | | (holding up your left hand). Warm up the anchor a |
| around so the word "but" illustrates the positive. | | | | few times by holding up your right hand |
| For example: | | | | everytime you say yes during the conversation. |
| "The feature set isn't quite appropriate but the | | | | That way they get used to the gesture which |
| product will work here." | | | | now means "yes". So when you ask them at the |
| "The benefits are numerous and my fee is | | | | end of the conversation whether they would like |
| £x" | | | | to go ahead you raise...guess which hand? |
| Simple but extremely effective...beware of the | | | | One I like to use is the pointing figure. Not pointing |
| word "but" | | | | right at your customer because that's rude but |
| Because | | | | pointing slightly in the air. I use it with the phrase |
| Let's look at the power of 'because'. This is | | | | "do you get my point". So when I've explained |
| something that's important to understand because | | | | something to my customer I ask them do you |
| when you do, many things will become clear | | | | get my point and raise my finger (this is my |
| about why you and other people do what you do. | | | | pointing finger by the way - but you knew that |
| Research done by Langer, Blank and Chanowitz in | | | | didn't you?). Later in the meeting when I've |
| 1978 produced some very surprising results. They | | | | explained a particularly good benefit I just raise |
| were testing the theory that if we ask someone | | | | my finger in the same way and nodding to the |
| to do something, we will be more successful if we | | | | customer and yes...they get my point. It's fun. |
| supply a reason. Which is true. However, along the | | | | Tonality is important here too. Lowering your |
| way they discovered something even more | | | | tonality indicates an instruction or a command, so |
| powerful. | | | | you can lower your tone when making a request |
| They persuaded 94% of people to allow them to | | | | or suggestion. This works well with embedded |
| cut into a queue at a photocopier by saying | | | | suggestions. |
| "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the | | | | Stories |
| Copy machine because I'm in a rush?". When they | | | | These are, without doubt, the most powerful |
| made the request only, "Excuse me, I have five | | | | way of moving the sales process along, with the |
| pages. May I use the Copy machine?" the rate | | | | customer firmly behind you all the way. Telling |
| went down to 60%. At first they thought that | | | | stories that're linked to the sales message are |
| the difference was down to giving people a good | | | | brilliant because they are remembered. They are |
| reason, that they were in a rush. Not so. | | | | full of sensory data - images, sounds, feelings and |
| They continued the experiment by now asking | | | | simply carry the customer with you. |
| "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the | | | | Your stories don't have to be long - the best |
| Xerox machine because I have to make some | | | | ones are short and to the point. But they do need |
| copies?" 93% complied, even though there was | | | | a connection or link to a point you want to make. |
| no real reason stated! No rush, no emergency, | | | | A good story will engage the customer and you'll |
| just the word because. | | | | be amazed by the attention they'll give you. |
| But "why" I hear you all asking. My daughter | | | | Stories about previous customers work well when |
| Bethan is going through the "why" stage where | | | | describing benefits of your product or service. |
| every other word she uses is why. After a while | | | | Describe how the customer used your product to |
| we as parents, look to an easy answer and | | | | overcome a problem, for example. Illustrate a |
| quickly get into the habit of using "because". | | | | time when you used the product to help you |
| So how can we use this in selling? Simply use the | | | | liberally sprinkling within your story the various |
| word "because" whenever you ask them to do | | | | benefits of your product. Put a plot into the story, |
| something. | | | | a journey maybe...possibly a twist in the tale and |
| "Mr Smith, would you allow me to ask you a few | | | | you'll have your customer glued to the spot |
| questions about your current situation because I | | | | savouring each and every word you utter. |
| would like to find out which of our products would | | | | Practise your stories so they trickle off your |
| be most suitable for you." | | | | tongue and feel like poetry. |
| Physical Anchoring | | | | Summary |
| Anchoring is a term used to relate something to | | | | So there we have 4 more "under the radar" tips |
| something else. Our world is full of anchors or | | | | which you can use when selling your product or |
| reminders. The smell of fresh cut grass, the | | | | service. Try one or maybe two next time. Feel |
| sound of church bells ringing, the voice of a loved | | | | the reaction and try some more after that. But |
| one. These things trigger a memory and that | | | | like anything in life, and indeed it is one of life's |
| memory floods back into our minds and we can | | | | truisms...you have to try...so I wish you all the best |
| enjoy those same wonderful feelings we had | | | | in your future selling. |
| before. | | | | |