Persuasion vs. Manipulation
Jason Forrest wrote this excellent response to my post last week on “Aggressiveness vs. Assertiveness”. It deserves it’s own posting. Read it carefully and evaluate your own approach to the sales process.
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There is a difference between manipulation and persuasion. When it comes down to it, you can distinguish them with one word: intent. Your intent and how you execute your position of strength determines if you are crossing the line and moving from pure persuasion to malicious manipulation. Persuaders use their position of strength for the customer’s benefit and wellbeing. Manipulators have ulterior motives, and are concerned only with their own wellbeing. Their goal is to coerce the prospect to purchase a home regardless of whether or not it satisfies their needs, wants or budget.
Unfortunately, many sales counselors don’t see the difference between persuasion and manipulation. They feel that they are one and the same, so they shy away from persuasion. To avoid coming across as aggressive, pushy and manipulative, they try to become the customer’s friend. They essentially abandon their position of strength and hand it over to the customer.
If you struggle with persuasion, you need to change your perception of it. Early in life, I learned that the way I see the world affects how I interpret things. And my perception of the world is created by the experiences of my past.
Many new home salespeople have had negative experiences with salespeople. Maybe they tagged along with their father to the used car lot and heard his speech that salespeople are con-artists whose goal is to rip you off. Or, perhaps they’ve dealt with a lot of rude, pushy telemarketers. Whatever the case, some of us have had encounters with manipulative people, and we’ve sworn that we would never, ever behave that way towards our customers.
If this is you, if you are fearful that maintaining a position of strength will scare away your customers, I challenge you to change your perception of persuasion and see it for the positive tool that it is.
When you engage in persuasion, you are building a case for your product so that the customer may make an informed purchase decision. There is nothing unethical about it. You uncover the customer’s needs and wants, provide the customer with solid, honest information about the homes that satisfy those needs and wants, get their feedback, answer their questions, and then invite them to close on their favorite home. No games. No tricks. If you truly love your homes and are proud of your community, you will have no need to engage in coercion or underhanded sales strategies.
If you’re concerned that you’re being manipulative, examine your intent and determine whose interests you have in mind. If you’re looking out for the customer, you’re engaging in persuasion and you’re good to go. If you only care about your own wellbeing, you need to reevaluate your priorities and seek a change of heart.
Jason Forrest
