Last Updated on February 28, 2008 by Paulette Brown-Hinds

 

I had the great fortune of spending some time with Ann Convery, who taught me some great tools for maximizing my sales techniques from a public relations perspective. Following are some basic fundamentals followed by an exercise that you can apply to your business with great effect right now!

Fundamental Points

  • The average human attention span is 9 seconds.
  • To achieve powerful influence, you must speak to emotional needs.
  • The results you provide should be dollarized and quantified for maximum effect.
  • The goal of any encounter is to leave your audience hungry and wanting more, because curiosity is the single biggest factor in sales.
  • Remember the Zygarnik Effect: People remember incomplete tasks better than completed ones.
  • Human beings are about pattern recognition, you must effect a pattern interrupt to be effective.
  • Remember that your audience is thinking: What’s in it for me?
  • Stop using un-hearable words (jargon, like domain names and search engine optimization). Instead use trigger words.
  • Following are some examples of trigger words:
  • Mother, childhood, baby, family, safe and sound, money, wealth, millionaire, debt and bankruptcy
  • Understand the 12-12-12 rule:
  • 12 feet – you decide who the person is.
  • 12 inches – you make up your mind.
  • 12 words – you write them off.
  • Project the image you want or others will build one for you. 93% of the initial perception is based on appearance.
  • Educating others is a top tier selling tool.
  • For example, if you were a moving company you could write an article about “15 Questions to Ask Your Moving Company”
  • Remember that you are selling money.
  • Don’t label yourself… “I am”, instead use: I transform, I accelerate, I teach, I discover or I create.
  • Tie what you do to money, love, health or time.
  • Facts tell, but stories sell.
  • If someone already has the service you provide, implant the notion that if they are not flying with you, they are not flying first class.

An Exercise

Take some time to create a statement about your business that speaks directly to the intended customer that is either or both quantified and dollarized.

Here are some examples:

Most people have to work until July until they start making money. I teach people to start making money in 60 days.

I teach people not to use their insurance. I usually save people from $12,000 to $30,000 in the initial meeting. We have already saved our clients over 40 billion dollars in the last 20 years.

I teach people 5 secrets of wealth and cash flow so thay can leverage other people’s money and hold on to more of their own.

I can increase your web traffic up to 32% in 60 days.

We just took a company from 4 million to 103 million in 36 months.

This one is not quantified or dollarized, but I like it: They call me when the bank says no.

Elmer Thomas Jr. is Co-founder of IER Solutions, Inc., an award winning web and software development company dedicated to bridging the digital divide and ThemBid.com, a service offering free advertising for businesses and makes finding services and products easy for consumers. You can find out more about Mr. Thomas at ElmerThomas.com.