The Psychology of Selling. Why People Buy
The Psychology of Selling. Why People Buy
The Psychology of Selling. Why People Buy
Why
People Buy
Fundamentals of selling
Exhibit 4.1: Why People Buy–
The Black Box Approach
Internalization process is referred to as a
black box
We cannot see into the buyer’s mind
Stimulus-response model
Buyer’s Hidden
Sales Presentation Mental Process Sale/No Sale
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A FABulous Approach to Buyer
Need Satisfaction
Stressing benefits is a very powerful selling
technique
FAB selling technique helps emphasize
benefit
Feature
Advantage
Benefit
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The Product’s Features: So
What?
Feature – a physical characteristic
Many salespeople emphasize features
Examples:
Size
Color
Price
Shape
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The Product’s Advantages: Prove
It!
Advantage - a performance
characteristic
The chances of making a sale are increased
by describing the product’s advantages
How a product can be used
How a product will help the buyer
Examples:
Fastest-selling
Store more information
Copy on both sides of the paper
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The Product’s Benefits: What’s in it
for Me?
Benefit – a result of advantage
People are interested in what the product will
do for them
Benefits can be both practical and
psychological
Benefits should be specific statements, not
generalizations
Emphasizing benefits increases sales
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Why Does Someone Buy These
Items?
Diamond ring
Camera
Castrol motor oil
Baseball tickets
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People Buy Benefit(s)
High performing salespeople stress benefits
They know this increases their chances of
making the sale and helping someone
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Example: Sporting Goods
Salesperson to Customer:
“With this ball, you’ll get an extra 10 to 20
yards on your drives (advantage) helping to
increase your score (benefit) because of its
new solid core (feature).”
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Use Your FABs
Feature – Physical Characteristic
Buyer thinks “So What?”
Advantage – Performance Characteristic
Buyer thinks “Prove It!”
Benefit – Favorable result from advantage
Benefits are what people buy!
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Use the FAB Sequence
The standardized FAB Sequence can be used
as follows:
The…(feature)…means you…(advantage)…with
the real benefit to you being…(benefit)….
Note how a benefit is emphasized
Pick a product. Insert a FAB of the product
into the above sequence
Put in your own words
Try it. It works!
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Let’s Review FABs
Which of the following is a feature,
advantage, or benefit?
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Let’s Review FABs
“Blade changing is quick and easy with this
saw, because it has a push button blade
release ”
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Let’s Review FABs
“Blade changing is quick (advantage) and
easy (benefit) with this saw, because it has
a push button blade release (feature)”
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Let’s Review FABs
“The king size will bring you additional
profits because it is the fastest growing and
more economical size”
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Let’s Review FABs
“The king size (feature) will bring you
additional profits (benefit) because it is the
fastest growing (advantage) and more
economical size (feature)”
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Let’s Review FABs
“For long wear and savings on your clothing
costs you can’t beat these slacks.All the
seams are double stitched and the material
is 100% Dacron ”
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Let’s Review FABs
“For long wear (advantage) and savings on
your clothing costs (benefit), you can’t beat
these slacks. All the seams are double
stitched (feature) and the material is 100%
Dacron (feature)”
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Exhibit 4.4: Match Buyer’s Needs to Product’s Benefits
and Emphasize Them in the Sales Presentation
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The Trial Close–a Great Way to
Uncover Needs and Sell
The trial close asks for an opinion, not a
decision to buy
It gives feedback.
The trial close is one of the best
communication techniques in the sales
presentation
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The Trial Close Helps You to
Determine:
Whether the prospect likes your product’s
features, advantages, or benefits
Whether you have successfully answered any
objections
Whether any objections remain
Whether the prospect is ready for you to
close the sale
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In These Examples of Trial Closes, Notice They
Do NOT Ask Someone to Buy Directly
“How does that sound to you?”
“Is this important to you?”
“That’s great - isn’t it?”
“I notice your smile. What do you think
about…?”
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Exhibit 4.5: The SELL Sequence: Use It
Throughout Your Presentation
S E L L
Show Explain Lead Let
feature advantage into benefit customer talk
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SELL Sequence
SELL Sequence
S - Show Feature - physical characteristic
E - Explain advantage - performance characteristic
L - Lead into benefit - result of advantage
L - Let customer talk - ask opinion question
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Industrial Salesperson to Industrial
Purchasing Agent:
“This equipment is made of stainless steel
(feature), which means it won’t rust
(advantage). The real benefit is that it
reduces your replacement costs, thus saving
you money (benefit)! That’s what you’re
interested in – right (trial close)?”
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It Helps to Construct Four Columns
in Creating Your SELL Sequence
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Exhibit 4.6: Examples of Features, Advantages, Benefits,
and Trial Closes that Form the SELL Sequence
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Watch for Clues to Someone’s
Personality Type
How would you describe this person?
What is their time orientation – past, present,
future?
What does their desk look like?
What does their room look like?
How do they dress?
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Determining Style Can Be
Difficult
What is the person’s primary style?
What is the person’s secondary style?
Does the person’s style comprise all four
types?
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First Know Your Style
This helps you to adapt to the other person’s
style
Which leads to better communication
Knowing your style helps you identify a
person’s style, especially if your styles are the
same (It takes one to know one.)
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You Can Classify Buying
Situations
Some decisions are routine
Some decisions are limited
Some decisions are extensive
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Exhibit 4.10: The Three Classes of
Buying Situations
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View Buyers as Decision Makers
Five basic steps in the buying decision
1.Need arousal
2.Collection of information
3.Information evaluation
4.Purchase decision
5.Postpurchase:
Satisfaction
Dissonance
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Exhibit 4.12: Personal, Psychological, and Social Forces
that Influence Consumers’ Buying Behavior
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Satisfied Customers Are Easier to
Sell to
It is easier to sell to a customer than to a
stranger
Building a relationship is important to a
salesperson’s success
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