People Buy from People they Like

Respect Your Buyer’s World

People buy from people they like… and they like people that are like them.

Did you ever feel that there was an iceberg between you and your prospect?  Where do you meet your existing prospect or your potential buyer?  If you meet them anywhere outside of your business, you are meeting them in their world.  You must communicate to them that you respect their place of business.  You do this by moving out of your comfort zone and into their comfort zone.

Many people consider their place of business their second home.  They spend more time at their business than they do at home.  Even though you may not want to spend a lot of time in the home of some of your clients and potential clients, you must let them know that you respect their place of business as you would their home.  No matter what the place of business looks like or feels like, you must assume that it looks OK to your client or potential customer.  If they didn’t want it that way, they would change it.  Don’t let the way a place of business looks or feels to you throw you off balance.  In fact, find a way to let your potential customer or client know that where they do business is fine with you. 

Enter your client’s or potential client’s place of business just as you would the home of a good friend. 

Buyers Buy from People Like Themselves

Sellers get in a rut.  We talk the same way to every client or potential buyer.  We use the same words at the same point in the same conversations with the same tonality.  The client or potential buyer can quickly sense that you are sliding into your rut, commonly referred to as “the canned presentation”.  What do you think they are saying to themselves at that moment?

“This is the same line this salesperson uses with everyone.  I am being treated just like everyone else.  This salesperson really doesn’t care about me.” 

On the telephone, the tone of your voice can carry a message to your listener that you have no intention of delivering.  Or, it can carry a message that makes your communication difficult.  When you pick up the phone and are met immediately with a rapid fire, no pause monologue, you immediately know it is a salesperson.  You don’t even hear the meaning of the words.  All you can think about is getting off the phone.  Just the way they say it is reason enough for you to get off the phone.  Buyers want to be talked to like they would talk to themselves.

Or, if you pick up the phone and the first question you hear is “How are you today?” you immediately know it is a sales call.  Why?  You recognize the verbal patterns of sales people and you immediately know the message.  The message is “If I can keep you on the phone, I am going to sell you something.”  The last time you had a really useful conversation, who did most of the talking?  Consider asking prospects questions that enable them to have a good conversation with you.  Match the tone of your question to their tone.  Match the pace of their conversation with their pace.  Match the words they use and use their words.  In other words become like them in your style of conversation. 

Feel the Prospects Emotion

There are many common words and phrases that identify different types of people.  Some people are the strong silent types that don’t say much, but when they do, everyone listens.  They control a meeting without saying a word.  This type of person is not quick to answer your questions.  They will take their time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, before giving you an answer.  During this time they are checking to see if the answer they are about to give feels right.  Let them take their time.  Never interrupt.  Don’t try to rush them. 

Another type of person is the high auditory type.  These people may not pause long enough for you to even ask the question.  They are driven to tell you all the information that they have heard.  And they expect you to understand.  You will have to stop these people and ask questions.  Help them stay on track to answer the questions that you need to have answered.

Visual people pause to develop a picture in their mind before they give you the answer to your questions.  Frequently, they cannot describe the pictures quickly enough.  In fact, they are a little bit like commentators at a sporting event.  The goal is to describe every detail of their picture as quickly as they can.  Make them comfortable by helping them visualize the point you are developing.

People are comfortable with people who understand their emotional needs.  People buy from people who feel their emotions and from people who respect their world.  You will find yourself having good conversations that result in good sales because people buy from people they like and people like people that are like them.