This weeks
Article....
Winning the
Away Game
Keys to persuasion and sales
Although I was never a great athlete in High
School, I understood that any team had a
disadvantage when playing an “away” game.
The support group of people was greatly reduced
while the Home team had more support. The
travel and different surroundings put added
stress on the players and the comfort of being
home was absent.
Yet, a winning team played as many “away” games
as “home” games and had to win the majority of
both!
When we look at sales, motivating others or
changing behaviors, are we also playing an away
game? Are we at a disadvantage because it is an
“away” game?
Here are some insights to give you the winning
advantage………
There are two keys I’ll cover in this article
that will give you an edge in the “away” game.
But first let’s explain the “away” game.
Ultimately if anyone buys something, changes a
behavior or gets motivated, it is because a
choice was made by that individual. This choice
does not happen in the salesperson's, manager
or parents mind, it happens in that individuals
mind. Thus the “away” game happens within the
other persons head.
This is where the two keys come
in…
1. For the
first I’ll quote one of our mentors
and what his research has proven to be
true.
“There are a number of qualities and
characteristics that are crucial to success in
persuasion and influence...in every usage from
therapy to selling. Above all else is one
characteristic that dwarfs all of the rest...
Empathy.
Nothing is more important than empathy for
someone who wants to motivate others to
change.” Dr. Kevin
Hogan
Wait a minute, what about my product, my
attitude, my selling skills, my great
personality?
Yes, those elements can make a difference in
any persuasion effort. However, the main
foundation of any persuasion is creating an “I
Trust You” belief in the other party!
After all, in your own personal choices, do you
say yes or even consider a yes if there is any
question of “Trust”?
Therefore, the fastest way to build trust is to
have Empathy for the other party. This means
you can put yourself in their shoes, feel their
emotions, understand their position and
situation as though it was your own!
Yet you are able to see past the emotion and
situation and provide a true solution for them.
Of course this means using tools such as highly
effective questioning and superman type
listening skills. We all know this; we simply
have to make the choice to apply these skills
more often.
2. The
second key can help you to apply that
effective questioning and superman type
listening.
Through out my years of training companies, the
one element that seems to always be a challenge
for many is getting themselves, their product
or their idea out of the way!
I would ask you to think about your last few
persuasion efforts:
·
How much of your focus was on your
presentation?
·
How much of your focus was on you
winning?
·
How much of your focus was on your
product/idea?
·
How much of your focus was on how your might be
perceived?
·
How much of your focus was on how truly
understanding the other
person?
If your answer is “mostly on the first four”
then read on, we have a solution. This will
help you convert your product/idea to the other
parties language and help you to be more
empathetic, thus build more
trust!
1.
Yes our product knowledge and idea are
important and we need to be passionate about
it. The challenge is allowing it to get in the
way of our persuasion. Because of our passion
we “push” the other party to “buy in” rather
than allow them to “choose” to say yes.
2.
If we convert the product/idea into the terms
and language of the other party it becomes less
“push” and we become more aware of the clues
the other party provide us. We can become more
Empathic.
3.
Break your product/idea down to its basic
facts. Then list as many benefits as possible
from these facts. Yes this takes time and
effort. It will also give you great insight
into your own product/idea.
4.
Now take each benefit and really ask yourself
what this really does for the other party.
Forget about your product/idea and really
become the other party. List as many “results”
as you can come up with, many will seem not to
have a connection or relevance to your product,
but that is ok. We are now “talking” in the
other parties’ language and world. (ie. a
handle on a coffee cup results in lower worker
compensation rates.)
5.
Now jot down open questions that are framed or
focused on these results. Create several
versions of these questions. (ie. How would
reducing risk, such as workers compensation,
impact your business?)
Now you are with the other party at your “away
game”. By asking the questions you have
prepared the conversation goes to their view
and language. You become more aware of which
words mean the most to them and how they view
their situation through their eyes. You are now
more empathetic by truly listening and not
judging their answers.
The other party begins to view you as someone
who is trying to truly understand and the trust
begins to build. Be prepared, you may discover
things no one else has!
One sign of a truly empathetic conversation is
how open and how deep it can become! It might
even get down right uncomfortable for both of
you!
Yet this is where true persuasion begins
because there is “Trust”!
The leaders and salespeople that have taken the
above steps see a significant growth in their
ability to persuade. How about
you?
If you want more on developing this persuasive
ability, take a look at the Webinar coming up
on Thursday, July 24.
What’s Wrong With Product
Knowledge. You’ll get great insight
you can apply immediately.
Till next week…Be all you can be; push the
envelop!
Harlan Goerger
© Harlan Goerger, July 2008
Reprint in entirety with credit
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