The psychology behind why we do what we do and make the decisions we make has been a long-time fascination of mine.  I’m curious, intrigued and a bit intimated by the subject.

So when I found myself caught up in an internal tug of war between not liking selling and not wanting to fail, it was messy!

I had to find a way around, through, over or under this tangled jumble of feelings, dreams and emotions verses the linear, logic and rational thoughts to a solution that made both sides of my brain happy; to use my learning processing ability as well as my curiously creative expressive imagination.

I set aside my dilemma of not wanting to have the sales conversation and set out to discover why we decide to buy or not to buy. Oh yea, I could do this!

To really understand the thinking about the buyer psychology of why people buy, here are some things to keep in mind (pun intended!):

Does the decision-making process access both the right and left-brain hemispheres?

Yes. Your prospective clients may describe themselves as left-brained (logical and analytical) or right-brained (intuitive and subjective). The truth is, even though your ideal client may think of themselves as one or the other, both sides of the brain participate in their thought processes, and certainly in their buying decisions. We’re not droids, so we’ll never make purchase decisions based solely on logical factors, such as cost-benefit ROI analysis or solely on subjective factors such as color or feelings.

Think about a time when you were looking for a pair of shoes.   You may have had an idea of what you wanted such as a versatile and comfortable sandal. Then saw a photo of sassy, multi-colored open toe wedges and instantly fell in love with the shoes. Granted, they may not have been what you were shopping for, but you absolutely, positively had to have those shoes, so you went through the process of justifying the purchase.  That’s both sides of the brain working in tandem to make the purchase decision.

Learning point:

Your marketing message needs to include language, graphics and messaging that appeals to both the logical and the emotional aspects of the decision-making equation.  The variables will be price, intensity of the problem or pain and the speed in which your solution will give them the results they want. When you incorporate aspects of both, you’ll appeal to both.

Result: selling without selling.

What do you and your prospective clients have in common?

Egos. When making the purchase decision for themselves, your prospective clients will naturally be thinking about themselves and how they will benefit from purchasing your product or service.  To sell without selling, it’s incumbent on you to set aside your ego and make the offer in such a way that satisfies their ego and makes them comfortable and confident that they’re making the right decision.

When they feel that you really understand their need and appreciate the significance of making the right decision, they will feel respected. You’re placing their need to make the best decision for them, above your need to make the sale.  In essence, you’re given them the space to reach the decision that’s right for them, not necessarily the one you want them to make.

Learning point:

Approach the conversation, or marketing content, from their perspective by definitively and satisfactorily explaining the what’s in it for them.  By answering that question for them – before they even ask it – you’ll help them come to the decision to purchase your product or service. This is not about a laundry list of features or steps in your process.  This is about the results they will experience.

Result: selling without selling.

What do your prospective clients crave?

Value. Psychologically, your prospective clients are perked up by the prospect of getting as much value as possible.  Keep in mind that value isn’t necessarily a fixed number – it’s totally relative and includes perceived value, depending on what they have to gain and what they’re willing to pay.

Additionally, the greater their pain, the higher value your product or service will have for them.  Intensity and urgency contribute to value as well.  Remember, they may have been experiencing the pain, or struggling with the problem for years. This will catapult the perceived value of your solution.

Learning point:

You want to appeal to this psychological need to “win” by demonstrating as great a value as possible, relative to price. This includes the benefit of the tangibles and intangibles, one of which is social proof.  In recent years, social proof has become a powerful selling tool that demonstrates how others have bought and benefitted proving the worthiness of their investment.

Result: selling without selling.

In summary, having a keen understanding of the psychology of purchase decisions has served me well.  The strategies I’ve shared with you have allowed me to break free from the icky sticky selling sensation and I use them every day to do the selling for me.

If you found this suggestions valuable and want to explore more ways you can sell without selling, then you’ll want to schedule your risk-free, no strings attached Explore | Embrace | Enrich discovery call with me so you can start attracting more clients!

Comments?  I’d love to hear from you –