Give Your Customer a Real Reason to Say Yes!
“Do you have an extra dollar?”
I was recently asked this question while sitting outside at Starbucks. In hindsight, I wish I had replied, “Why yes, I do. Thanks for asking!” and gone right back to working on my laptop.
Instead, I automatically responded with, “No, sorry.”
No?!! Sorry?!! Neither word in this response was true.
I did have an extra dollar on me and I wasn’t sorry that I did not hand it over! Why should I give away my hard earned dollar to some guy already rolling an iPhone and expensive sneakers?
Get your own dollar, dude!
Dollar Dude clearly had not read Influence by Robert Cialdini or he would have framed his question in a way that would have gained him a much higher chance of receiving a positive response.
Framing Requests for Positive Responses
In Cialdini’s book, he writes about the “click whirr” that happens when we receive a request coupled with a reason for complying with that request.
By virtue of the fact that there is a reason, we tend to respond positively to the request. Here’s the kicker: this reflex response does not even require a good reason!
The mere presence of a reason—any reason—is enough to inspire most people to action.
What if Dollar Dude told me that he needed a dollar for the new Kim Kardashian Hollywood app? Who knows, I may have given him the buck! (Or…NOT!)
The two parts of an effective request are the request itself followed by a reason for compliance with the request. Without a reason, a request is often white noise at best and offensive at worst. (As evidenced by my annoyance at the guy in the nice sneaks asking me for money.)
Rejected Requests
In new home sales, there are a few universally common requests posed to the customer:
– May I ask you a few questions?
– Would you like to see to the models?
– May I show you some home sites I think you might like?
– Would it be okay if I follow up with you in a few days?
These all sound like reasonable and appropriate requests, right?
The problem with them is that a customer does not have a vested interest in saying “yes” to any of them. Worded this way, all of these requests seem to benefit the salesperson exclusively.
They convey little to no genuine concern for the customer and they make the customer feel put upon. Clearly, no salesperson wants a customer to feel like that!
Simple changes in language make all the difference between a customer who feels put upon and one who feels served.
Requests Reframed
Note the radical shift made by attaching reasons to these same requests:
– May I ask you a few quick questions so that I can point you in the right direction?
– Would you like to go check out the models so that I can help you choose a floor plan best suited for you and your family?
– Let’s go take a look at our home sites and I can help you envision how your dream home will fill the space, sound good?
– Because I do not want you to lay awake tonight wondering about all the things that you will think of after you leave, may I give you a call this evening to see what questions have popped up?
Adding reasons to requests changes the entire dynamic of the sales conversation.
When you attach a reason to a request, customers feel served and cared for vs. put on the spot. Giving reasons with your requests also defines you as the leader in the sales process, providing prospects with the information they need.
Requests without reasons make the sales conversation feel like an uncomfortable journey of mystery. Your customer does not want mystery, they want answers!
If you want to dramatically increase your chances of receiving a positive response to your requests, make sure to give your customer a real reason to say “Yes”!
