Categories
Archives
Search
Subscribe to Our Monthly Digest
The most powerful form of persuasion
“We shall defend our island…whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, the landing points, the streets, and the hills. We shall never surrender!”
These words were uttered by Winston Churchill during a radio address prior to a German invasion during WW II. Even though Hitler’s troops did bomb part of London and much of Coventry, they failed in their attempt to take over England. Many believe that the power and conviction in Churchill’s words intimidated Hitler just enough to make him hesitate and ultimately fail.
In selling we need to build trust, ask good questions, and determine exactly what our prospect wants and needs. Once we have done this, our prospect will want to hear our proposed solutions. It is at this stage of the conversation that “Churchill-like” conviction can make a difference in the sale.
Here is an example: Earlier this week I was in a team meeting, and they were discussing closing ratios on a particular service the company offered. One team member had a high closing ratio and the other was on the low end of the scale. After some discussion, both individuals came to the same conclusion: The “high closer” was very confident of the service and knew the benefits well. The “low closer” did not have that strong of a belief. When we asked the “high closer” how he had built such confidence, he said he had done considerable research on the subject, and this led to his robust confidence. The “low closer” had not done this research and study.
The “high closer” knew the power of conviction. He believed in himself and his offerings right down to the heart and soul. As a result, his body language and tone of voice displayed this confidence and it was transferred to the customer. There is an important lesson to learn from Winston Churchill and the “top producer”: We need to do whatever it takes to say what we mean and mean what we say. Remember…THE POWER OF CONVICTION!