Consumers buy from people they know, like, and trust.
It’s a common saying in the sales world.
Even if you’ve never heard this saying, you still know it’s true.
It’s especially relevant in the world of entrepreneurial sales.
Here’s the bottom line: if you want more people to say “yes” to your offer, they need to know, like, and trust you. What does this mean?
It means you need to focus on building a stronger relationship with your prospects and customers. It’s a key component in building a thriving business. The better you are at building relationships, the more likely it is that you will succeed.
Why? Because people don’t buy for rational, logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.
That’s right. Buying decisions are based primarily on emotion. Of course, this doesn’t mean there is no logic involved. It just means that if you want more people to buy from you, it’s a better idea to focus more on what your prospect feels rather than what they think.
That’s where likability comes in. The more likable you are, the better your prospective buyers will feel about you. The better your prospective buyers feel about you, the more likely they are to buy.
You may be thinking “But I’m already pretty likable!”
I’m sure you are. I’m sure everyone loves you. Heck, I love you!
But likability is a skill. Which means it can be honed. You can still become better at being likable.
This post will show you how.
Let The Other Person Do The Talking
Here’s one of the most effective likability hacks you can learn and start implementing today: Shut up and listen. Yes, that’s it. Stop talking and hear what your prospects are saying.
Not only do you need to listen more, you need to encourage your prospects to talk more. You need to get them to talk as much as possible.
If you’ve ever read “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, you know that the best way to ingratiate yourself to others is to show genuine interest in them. When you encourage them to talk, you ARE showing genuine interest.
People love this. No really, they do.
Think about it…everyone wants to be heard, right? Everyone wants to be listened to.
If you choose to be the person that wants to hear what others have to say, they will have a much more favorable impression of you. That’s why listening is so crucial.
The best way to encourage others to talk is to ask great questions. Using open-ended questions is a highly effective way to get your prospects to open up to you.
Try it. You won’t be disappointed. I guarantee it!
Find Similarities
Let’s face it. We’re all narcissists. We are drawn to people who are most like us. We like that sense of familiarity.
It makes us feel more comfortable. It makes us more trusting. It makes us feel all warm and tingly inside.
That’s why you need to identify areas where you and your prospect are similar. Find things that you both have in common and make sure you highlight these areas.
The more you show your prospect how much you have in common, the better your chances are of persuading them to buy from you. This is another area where good questions can help.
Here’s some questions you can ask to discover areas of commonality:
- Where are you from?
- What sports are you into?
- How many kids do you have?
- Have you traveled a lot?
The cool thing about this is that no matter how different you are from your prospects, there will always be things that you have in common. Find out what those things are and make sure you talk about them. Make it a part of your conversation.
Focus On Rapport, Not Selling
Want to know one of the most deadliest mistakes you can make when you’re speaking with a prospect? Showing that you care more about your prospect’s wallet than you do about who they are.
You know exactly what I’m talking about.
We have all had horrible experiences with horrible salespeople who rush right into the sale. They’re not at all concerned with you as a person, they just want your money, and that’s it. They don’t even bother to pretend like they care about you.
Don’t be that guy. Please.
I know it can be tempting to rush right into the sale, but it’s really not a good idea. Try to establish a relationship first. Build some rapport.
Get to know the person you’re trying to sell to.
Even though you may be looking to do business with a particular prospect, it’s okay to “let your hair down” a little. Let them see your human side. Get to see theirs.
Most prospects will appreciate the fact that you’re not “all business.” Take some time to chat about things that are not related to business. You’ll have plenty of time to talk about business later.
If you become good at building rapport, you will greatly increase your chances of closing more deals. Not only that, it will help you increase the loyalty of your customers.
Show Gratitude
Gratitude is powerful. Incredibly powerful. It is one of the most effective ways to become more likable.
If you want to deepen your relationships with your prospects, you must use gratitude. When you express gratitude you show your prospects that you see them as more than just a paycheck. That’s what most consumers want from the companies they decide to do business with.
Everyone wants to feel important. They want to feel like they matter. It’s one of our deepest needs as human beings.
The best way to make someone else feel important is to express gratitude. When you tell someone that you are grateful for something they did, it shows them that they are important. Find things that your prospects and customers have done that you are grateful for.
If it’s a prospect that you’re meeting with, let them know that you’re grateful for the fact that they are taking time out of their day to meet with you. Let them know that you realize they are busy and tell them that you appreciate their willingness to speak with you.
If it’s a long-time customer, tell them how grateful you are for their business and loyalty. It will go a long way towards making sure they don’t go to your competition.
Conclusion
Likability is one of the most important factors in entrepreneurial selling. Without it, selling can be incredibly difficult.
If you want to turn more prospects into customers, focus on the relationship. Show them that they matter to you.
If you do this the right way, you will close more deals. Period.
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