7 Triggers to Yes

Russell Granger, author of The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People’s Decisions, uses everyday examples of human interaction to illustrate psychological triggers at work on his Seven Triggers blog.

Today we're looking at how these triggers work in making sales decisions.

From sales to politics, imaging studies reveal that the brain relies on emotional factors over intellect when making decisions.

Granger defines these triggers as:

1. The Friendship Trigger
2. The Authority Trigger
3. The Consistency Trigger
4. The Reciprocity Trigger
5. The Contrast Trigger
6. The Reasons-Why Trigger
7. The Hope Trigger

(If you’re thinking that these “triggers” reflect Robert Cialdini’s “weapons” you’d be right).

How do these triggers motivate buyers?

Look at Hope. If you ask a prospective client what they hope for they’re going to tell you. You can use their answer to help structure your sales page or pitch.

Say you sell computers. You ask what brand they currently use. You ask when they purchased it. You ask: “What did you hope this computer would do for you [your business] when you bought it?” You simply state those features back to the buyer with the improvements that have taken place since his purchase. And you might toss in a feature or two of your product that could be important to a person in your buyer’s situation.

Maybe the current computer was a family computer, a machine that the kids’ used to do their homework; where the wife kept up with family and friends through email. It was purchased for price rather than for performance. Maybe there was no home business back when this computer was purchased.

Authority is important in any transaction. You need to be fully conversant with the features of older model hardware as well as software, cell phones or whatever your niche is. If it is true, tell your prospect that their previous purchase was a good one and why. When you explain the newer features of your product they’ll lean toward your recommendation because they will see you as a specialist, something we talked about Monday.

Authority also comes from knowing your figures. If you are offering a subscription product or asking for an investment you need to let your prospect know exactly what it is going to cost him and how much it is likely to save him over the product or service he is currently using.

Consistency is a discovery process. You find out how your buyer reached his buying decision for the product he currently owns by asking. If he cites Consumer Reports, then let him know what Consumer Reports has to say about your product. This keeps your prospect in his comfort zone.

Contrast your product against competitor’s products. Demonstrate how it saves money, time, or contributes to a better experience. Do NOT contrast your product with your buyer’s recent purchase. The message becomes: “You’re an idiot for buying that.” No one likes being told that they are stupid or gullible.

Friendship is a trigger cited by Brian Tracy; people buy from people they like. Liking promotes trust.

If you’re looking to become a friend, you can use the internet to discover what subjects your prospect is likely to tweet and the subject of photographs he’s uploaded onto social sites. If you share his interests let him know. If not you might say: “I saw your tweet a few weeks back on the President. I thought it was pretty gutsy. What kind of reaction did you get?” Or, “I saw your vacation pictures to the Grand Canyon. I’ve always wanted to go there. Have you got time to tell me what you liked best about it?”

Developing rapport is the first step toward friendship and trust that can lead to sales and even future joint ventures.

You’ll find Granger’s book at Amazon using my affiliate link below.

The 7 Triggers to Yes: The New Science Behind Influencing People's Decisions