We’ve all been the subject of a pushy salesperson. Someone who seemingly forced us to buy something that we didn’t want or need, and then we regretted it the minute they were gone. At the time you probably felt strong buyer’s remorse and wished you were not so stupid. Or perhaps you felt angry towards the salesperson for being so pushy and tried to return the goods. In situations like this we as the customer often complain to many people around us about the terrible customer experience we had. And the bad reputation of the salesperson and their company spreads like wildfire. No one likes a pushy salesperson!
If you are in sales here’s a word or warning: especially at the moment in the ‘virtual world’ (where it’s just so much more difficult to sell your products or services), it’s really important when engaging in ethical persuasion that your stakeholder never feels coerced, forced or manipulated into doing something that they don’t want to do. They must feel a measure of freedom in the decision-making process. That’s the definition of persuasion, it’s where the stakeholder has ‘a measure of freedom in their decision-making process’.
In other words, it’s your job as the persuader, to communicate your solution so that your stakeholder can see that what you’re offering is just what they need. When they can sense that what you’ve got is exactly what they need, they will be quick to agree or snap it up! So the real skill here is the listen to your stakeholders’ needs and work out how to help them rather than how to sell to them.
Your stakeholder must always feel that they made their own decision to take the action, buy the product or endorse your idea. This type of selling is associated with the win/win. They win, you win. No one feels forced or pushed into doing anything they didn’t want to do.
In short, understand what it is that your stakeholder wants and give that to them.
Happy Presenting!
© Michelle Bowden 2020. Michelle Bowden is an authority on presentation & persuasion in business. Michelle is a CSP (the highest designation for speakers in the world), co-creator of the PRSI (a world-first psychometric indicator that tests your persuasiveness at work), best-selling internationally published author (Wiley), and a regular commentator in print, radio and online media. www.michellebowden.com.au