Psychology Of Social Selling Article by Megan Flanagan
Everyone is always selling. It is always pretty obvious • Engage- bring you into the sales process when someone is selling a product or a service to • Enrich- how does what they are selling affect you you but how often do you not realize you are being • Entertain-relax, make it not so serious. Have sold to? fun, capture people’s attention It is happening every moment of every day. They engage their audience thru the live TV and phone When you sell successfully and ethically there are 3 calls and now Social Media platforms. They entertain things you should be able to get the customer to do: by selling in a way that makes the customer “tune in”, then they enrich the customer’s life by bringing them • Like you –this is your “gut” feeling when you value. All of this was done back in the 80’s on live meet someone; 1st impression television. • Know you -getting to know someone thru conversation or back and forth exchange There are “Master Sales” people out there who can • Trust you -Once someone trust you, they are close any sale, but at the end of the day if they close open to being “sold” to. a sale and the client /customer feels bad/pressured/ QVC is a Shopping Network where I spent just over 10 uncomfortable with the sales process. What does years as a Planner & Buyer. They broadcast to that leave you with? approximately 350 Million households in seven A customer who is not happy with you and your sales countries. The reason they are successful is that they tactics. This customer will tell people about their have always directed their On-Air salespeople to sell in bad experience and will never recommend you/your a manner called “ The Back Yard Fence ”. This product/service to anyone. phrase was coined to remind the On Air salesperson to I am currently a Social Media Manager and a Coach sell the product as if they were speaking to their for Rachel Pedersen’s Social Media United. I have neighbor over the backyard fence. It is never a high the opportunity to teach the students and one of my pressure, scream at the top of your lungs approach favorite subjects to teach is about a book I recently to selling. It is a simple, friendly conversation with your read a few years back called “Influence: The Psychology neighbor who you like, know, and trust. of Persuasion ” by Dr. Robert B. Cialdini. In this When QVC was launched in 1986, this is the approach book he identifies and discusses 6 Universal Principles they took while other shopping networks went for the of Persuasion: quick, loud sale and QVC quickly because of the leader in this space. QVC also utilized the 3 E’s : • Reciprocity –you help me, I’ll help you • Scarcity - oh no it is going away • Authority -you know what you are doing • Consistency -you do what you say will do • Liking - people like YOU! • Consensus - the larger group agrees on a subject
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VOLUME 3
FUNNEL MAGAZINE
The first Principle I always dive into with the SMU students is “Liking”. Here are just some of the important