The secret to success is not found by trying to shout louder than everyone else out there. The secret is to move away from the crowd and the noise and to begin the process of building connection with the right people, in the right place at the right time. This is a case of going back to basics and instead of trying to spray your message out into the world and sitting back and praying that someone will hear it and miraculously get to know like and trust what you have to offer. You must clearly define who your target clients are, find out where you can connect with them so that you can begin to build connection and trust with them.
These changing times, where we have so much going on around us all the time, has forced us to take a step back and to change the way we market our businesses. People have not changed, they still choose to buy from businesses they know, like and trust and can offer them the best opportunity to get maximum value. It is time to stop shouting a message that people don’t want to hear, in places where your prospective clients aren’t listening as this is totally ineffectual and just a waste of energy. Commit to begin the process of communicating, connecting and influencing people so that they can easily see that what you have to offer is what they need.
Learning the art of effective persuasion and influence is best understood by revisiting some ancient wisdom that was given by Aristotle, many centuries ago. He suggested that there are three levels of persuasion, namely Logos, Pathos and Ethos.
Logos or as we would call it “Logic”
The first step in the process of influencing others that what you have to offer is perfectly suited to meet their needs, is to appeal to them on a basic, logical level. This is a process in which you communicate a logical message to your prospective client showing them that your market offering is the most obvious choice. This is a process in which you are persuading people that what you have is exactly what they want and need.
This is best illustrated by an example:
Appealing to your prospects logic, is a process in which you ask them a few questions, in which you highlight your unique selling proposition and the incredible benefits your product has to offer. If you are attempting to persuade someone to use your services, as a time management consultant, then you would use the following questions to show them that, what you offer is the only logical solution to their current circumstances.
1)Do you agree that if you focused on improving your effectiveness and discovered the right actions to take every day, so that you would stop spinning your wheels, you would significantly improve your results over the next twelve months?
2)Is it true that you arrive home from work every day exhausted, yet you feel that you have not accomplished much at all?
3)So you want better results, but you feel like you don’t have sufficient time, is that right.
4)So what if making this small investment will allow you to identify the exact actions that you need to take every day and then give you a set of tools and techniques, which would improve your efficiency so dramatically, that it would feel like you gained a couple of hours each day, Would you be interested? Would that give you a huge advantage over your competition? Would it help you to make far more money?
This method of persuading people that what you have to offer is exactly what they need is perfect, for communicating your message to people on a one to one basis or when speaking to small groups of people.
The challenge that we all face when attempting to influence people is that there is a very fine line between persuasion and manipulation. You can never build a successful business by manipulating people; they will eventually see right through you and will no longer trust anything that you have to say.
The way I define the difference between influence and manipulation is:
When someone is trying to manipulate someone, they have a negative intent and are selfishly looking at the interaction from their own selfish perspective only. This is a one sided transaction, where there is only one winner.
On the other hand when you influence someone the intent is always one of offering a mutually beneficial solution to satisfy a need. Persuasion always results in a mutually beneficial outcome, where both parties feel like they have received fair exchange. The best way to persuade someone, that what you have to offer is exactly what they need, is to always ask yourself these two questions
1)Why should this person want what I am offering?
2)Is it the best option for them, will this transaction be a fair exchange?
When you ensure that what you are attempting to persuade people to buy, is aligned with their needs and that there is always a fair exchange, where everyone wins, you have created the foundation for great success.
http://www.andrewhorton.co.za
Andrew is an expert and master teacher that speaks on personal-leadership, expanded awareness, effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. He guides individuals and business professionals to identify, prioritise and carry out the right activities, consistently, so that they can maximise their personal effectiveness, within their available time. All the tools and techniques Andrew teaches; have been tested in the laboratory of his own life and the many successful businesses he has owned and led, over the past 20 years. These strategies have seen Andrew achieve financial independence and reach a point of harmonious balance in all areas of his life. His purpose is to help as many people as possible, achieve similar or better results and to show them how they can realise their full potential. His vision is to help as many people as possible, achieve financial independence and to help them live a meaningful life, where they are fulfilled in all areas. http://www.andrewhorton.co.za