I was just in a mastermind meeting and someone mentioned the term “snake oil salesman” and another person in the room asked “what is snake oil?” Everyone looked to me to explain it. Not that they thought I was a snake, they just didn’t want to offend the only self-proclaimed salesman in the room.
I went on to explain what snake oil was and used Dr John Brinkley as an example. After I explained what “snake oil salesmen” meant, I went on to explain why people were able to sell it. The only reason people bought snake oil, was because the salesman had the look of absolute conviction when he pitched it.
The key to closing more sales lies in absolute conviction of what is is you’re selling
You don’t have to be a snake oil salesman to have absolute conviction in your product. Once you’ve seen your clients and prospects get the results from your product they desire, you start to become confident that your stuff works. The more you believe your stuff works, the more your prospects can see the conviction in your eyes.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>If you're not 100% convinced the product you sell is the best, you're selling the wrong thing <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/sales?src=hash”>#sales</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/tip?src=hash”>#tip</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/closer?src=hash”>#closer</a></p>— Hardcore Closer (@hardcorecloser) <a href=”https://twitter.com/hardcorecloser/status/736722431553867776″>May 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Whether you know it or not, the salesman speaks three primary languages. There’s the language we speak with our tongue. The words that come out of our mouths and the noises matched with them. Then there’s the body language. When the words are flowing, there are actions the body takes to re-enforce those words. The third language is telepathical. You know when you have a feeling something isn’t right? That’s the third language talking to you.
The reason prospects fail to buy, is because those three languages don’t line up when they come out of the person speaking them. If a person’s words say one thing, but their body language and aura says differently, that’s when prospect confusion sets in, and the deal is lost.
If your words and motions don’t line up you will confuse the prospect’s subconscious.
If you say something, but are unsure of the validity of the statement, your body will give it away. When we see someone’s mouth say “yes” but their head shakes “no”, our subconscious pauses and senses something is not right. On the flip side, if you can get all three languages to line up, you speak from a position of confidence, and confidence closes sales.
For most of us, the body refuses to lie. You’ve must be 100% congruent in what you say, what you mean, and what you do. One way to make sure you stay congruent is by educating yourself on your product. The more you know, the less you have to make up and bullshit your way around.
When I sold cars, I watched a lot of salesmen screw themselves out of lay-down sales. The prospect would love the ride, they’d be ready to do paperwork, then the salesman would destroy the bond they had built, by giving the signal of uncertainty. The sign nal of uncertainty is almost impossible to hide, in the eyes. The eyes always give it away. If you don’t know the answer to something, don’t lie or guess. Lying and guessing will come out in the body language, and you will break the bond you’ve created.
Instead, answer unknown questions with honesty. If you don’t know, tell them you don’t know but will find out. Better to appear foolish than appear dishonest. People buy from dumb people all the time. No one wants to buy from someone dishonest. Only stone cold sociopaths can tell lies with their mouth and body at the same time. Focus on being honest. When you are honest, you are confident and confidence closes.
The best part about educating yourself on your product, is it gives you the answers you need to handle objections and questions. The more you know, the more you believe and the more you can sell. When prospects see you know your product inside and out, they buy. The see your conviction and confidence and buy based on those more than the product.
The person makes the sale, not the product. Products are just things. They are the means to a solution to the problem the prospect is facing. The confidence in the salesperson is what assures the result the prospect wants and triggers them to make a buying decision.
The moment you have absolute confidence in yourself and your product, is the moment you see a dramatic up-swing in your sales and closing ablility. In the video below, I’ll share a story about a con-man who was so convicted men everywhere believed in his trickery. Even after they had been fooled!
