I was at a dinner party the other night, and I was amazed at how well my client and sisterfriend sold her new business retreat. She didn't talk about square footage or the number of bedrooms - she talked about how it would feel to wake up in the morning and have coffee on the balcony, or how nice it would be to entertain friends in the backyard. She really painted a picture for us, and it was easy to see why she'd fallen in love with the event venue.
It's funny, but I realized that we make decisions based on two factors - pleasure and pain. We want to avoid pain whenever possible, and seek out pleasure instead. And that's where you come in - you want to make sure that people associate you ith pleasure and not the other way around.
When you're selling something - whether it's a product, service, program or experience - it's important to focus on the pleasure that your customer will experience.
Paint a picture for them of what their life will be like if they buy what you're selling.
Creative visualization is a powerful tool, and you can use it to your advantage when selling.
If you can tap into the emotions of your customer and make them feel what it would be like to have what you're offering, they'll be far more likely to buy from you. So next time you're selling something, think about how you can focus on the pleasure principle to close the deal.
I remember when I was first starting out in sales, one of my mentors told me that people don't buy products - they buy solutions. And he was right. We don't want to just purchase something - we want to know that what we're buying is going to solve a problem for us.
When you're trying to sell something, think about the pain that your customer is experiencing and how your product or service can alleviate it.
For example, if you're selling a new skincare line, you might focus on the fact that it will help your customer to achieve clear, youthful skin.
Or if you're selling a business coaching program, you could focus on the fact that it will help your client to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
When you can show your customer how you can relieve their pain, they'll be far more likely to buy from you.
Don't focus on the negative (the pain of not having your product or service) - focus on the positive, and you'll see an increase in sales!
Have you seen those call to actions that say something like "Nope. I want to stay broke, stupid and lazy?" or similar negative sales suggestions? Personally. I find them manipulative and I do not like them. However, I recognize that the reason those work is because people want to avoid pain more than they want to seek out pleasure.
My approach is to simply ask "How does this problem affect your emotional and mental wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing and relationships? Do you prefer to hit rock bottom before making the decision to step outside of your comfort zone?"
When you make someone feel the pain of not having what you're offering, it's a strong motivator to buy from you. Those who do not invest have fallen in love with their problems and they are NOT my ideal clients.
So there you have it - two powerful selling strategies that you can use to close more deals and make more sales. So if you want to increase your sales, focus on the power of pleasure and pain. Paint a picture for your customer of how their life will be improved by buying from you, and show them what they stand to lose if they don't. You'll be surprised at how effective this can be!
Which approach have you tried? What worked? What didn’t work? Share in the comments below!
