16 Principles of Influence in Sales

Punch is a powerful beverage. Leaders at companies drink it and invest in major acquisitions. They expand overseas. They purchase zillion dollar new technologies for their companies. And they embrace all sorts of management philosophies and methods. As sellers, we all have punch. But it’s the rare seller who can get everyone they so desire to tilt their heads back and finish the cup. Sellers know they can help buyers succeed if they would only buy. They know they can create amazing futures for prospects if they would just pay attention to them. And they know – man, do they know – they are better than the competition. But they just can’t get all the prospects they want to see it, take their advice, and choose the right courses of action...starting with buying from them! The keys to strengthening your “get them to drink the punch” muscles lie in your ability to influence. If you want to increase your influence and persuasion skills, the first step is understanding the underlying components that lead to influence. Before we do that, note that these principles are among the most powerful business principles we have seen people learn. As you learn them, remember Rainmaker Principle #1: Play to Win-Win. Always keep your prospects’ and customers’ best interest in mind – be good stewards of their trust – so when you do influence and persuade them, they’ll be glad you did. We break influence down into sixteen principles. The 16 Principles of Influence are listed somewhat in the order that they flow in sales. Note that we don’t cover how to succeed in each one here. For our purposes here, we seek to outline for you what they are. Then you can ask yourself, “Do I need to be better in this principle?” and look into it more deeply. Principle 1. Attention: Top sellers capture the attention of busy prospects. They are memorable in prospecting and in sales conversations. They break through the noise. They highlight their differentiation. You can’t influence someone if they’re focused on something else. Principle 2: Curiosity: Once you have someone’s attention, the easiest thing to do is to lose it. Your goal is to pique and hold the prospect’s curiosity. Curiosity is a powerful concept. People know what they have, but the want to know what they are missing. Give them the sense they might be missing something and they’ll naturally want to know more. Principle 3: Desire: Desire is the gap between where someone is and where he wants to be. The more you can stoke someone’s desire to change his reality, the more you’ll be able to influence him. When buyers start to see what’s in it for them, they start to become emotionally involved in wanting whatever it is. Principle 4: Envy: Desire is powerful. Envy is desire with a turbo boost. If your prospect wants something they don’t have, their desires will drive them. If they want something that other people have, their unhappiness will eat away at them until they get it. Principle 5: Emotional journey: People forget what you tell them, but they remember how they feel. Top sales people, leaders, and professionals take prospects on an emotional journey, often through stories that evoke emotional responses. This emotional journey helps prospects to feel the pain of where they are, feel what the happiness and fulfillment will be like in their better future. Principle 6: Belief: You’ll have maximum ability to influence people when prospects believe that things could be better, should be better, and can actually get better if they buy from you. The more convinced they are that your solution will succeed, the more willing they will be to move forward. Principle 7: Justification: People buy with their hearts and justify with their heads. Even if you are able to capture the hearts of your buyers (through the emotional journey you take them on), if you can’t make the ROI case for working with you, you won’t make the sale. Principle 8: Trust: The principle of trust works closely with the principle of belief. Belief is faith that something will work, trust faith in you. Trust is the foundation of the sale. No trust, no sale. (And, with trust, don’t just try to gain it. Deserve it.) Principle 9: Stepping Stones: Once people get on a path, they’re much more likely to stay on that path. People are driven to be consistent. So if you can get them to try or buy something from you once, even if it’s small, they’re much more likely to buy again. Think of buying as a leap of faith. If you’re always trying to sell something “big” then that leap can be too much of a jump for many buyers to take. You can shorten the leap of faith with stepping stones, getting people to start working with you in small doses and with less risky propositions. Principle 10: Ownership: Until an individual takes ownership over decisions, actions, and results your ability to influence him or her is limited. Your job is to make it the buyer’s agenda to move forward, not your own. Principle 11: Involvement: When you have a hand in creating something, you’re more likely to be a passionate advocate for its success. Buying is the same way. Involve your buyers in in the selling process, and they’ll be much more attached to seeing the solution come to life. Principle 12: Desire for Inclusion: People don’t want to be left out. They want to feel included. If the best companies are purchasing a certain technology, they want to be in on it. If a new management method is sweeping the nation, people don’t want to feel left out. The more you can help buyers feel included, the more they’ll want to move forward. Principle 13: Scarcity: People value rarity and don’t want to miss out on an opportunity. Rainmakers highlight differentiation, and make sure that buyers know when they may miss out on an opportunity. Principle 14: Likeability: People buy from people they like. They interact with people they like. Likeability creates and enhances opportunity for conversations at all stages. And, as we know, conversations are at the heart of sales success. Principle 15: Indifference: Indifference is emotional detachment to the outcome of making the sale. Indifference is often best understood in light of its opposite: neediness. The more you seem like you need the sale, the less likely a buyer will view you as a peer, and the more difficult it will be to sell. Principle 16: Commitment: Rainmakers are great at getting buyers to agree to next steps. Written and public commitments are stronger than verbal and private commitments. The best sellers ask for commitment at the right time, get signatures, and get buyers to communicate commitments publicly. These are the 16 Principles of Influence in Sales. Understand them, learn to use them, and your prospects will be drinking the punch in no time.