Carers

Take a soft gentle approach. Give your proposal a ‘people-benefit’ frame. Talk about how this will enhance people’s lives and relationships. Offer continuous support and partnership. Show you need their help and then ask for that help.

It is critical the presenter comes across as genuine and trustworthy, otherwise there is likely to be resistance to your ideas. They ‘buy’ the person. If they like you they are more likely to be open to your ideas. Avoid the ‘hard-sell’ and offer personal guarantees.

Some Points To Consider

To create rapport with and to persuade carers you should:

When presenting, carers need to be on guard against understating benefits and sounding unconvincing in answering objections. Also, they can be hesitant to ask for the close.

Analyticals

You don’t persuade, your data does. They will ‘buy’ the argument not the person. Give them lots of information about your product and its features and let them make up their own minds. Talking benefits can come across to analyticals as a ‘hard sell’.

Give them logical proof from reliable sources. Be risk averse. It is best to present the ‘new’ as an extension of the old and proven. Discounts and special offers do little for analyticals.

Quality is very important to these people, and they like value for money. Not is often a good word – ‘This is not expensive’, ‘This is not high risk.’

Some Points To Consider

To create rapport with and to persuade analyticals you should:

Analyticals often present with so much detail that the audience becomes confused. Generally they expect the data to do the persuading and are inclined to outline features without emphasising benefits. They don’t always see the need for rapport with their audience.

Socialisers

Be enthusiastic about your proposal. Sell the ‘sizzle’ as well as the steak! Be upbeat, friendly and lively. They are likely to want a sense of partnership and working together.

Your enthusiasm for your ideas will help to persuade. Talk about something new, different and innovative and you will immediately interest these people.

Some Points To Consider

To create rapport with and to persuade socialisers you should:

Socialisers, when they present, can come across as superficial and lacking real depth. Their natural enthusiasm and use of superlatives can generate resistance, especially with analyticals. Socialisers sometimes talk themselves out of a sale.

Developing Flexibility

Perhaps there is no such thing as resistant people, only inflexible communicators. Perhaps resistance is a reaction to something you say or do and, if you did something different, that resistance would be replaced with acceptance:

This statement will appeal more to go-getters than carers. Sell to carers with go-getter values and you are likely to create resistance. You will be fishing with chicken vindaloo!

A useful question to ask is:

Summary

Data and logic don’t always persuade.
Create the need if you don’t want to appear pushy.
Talk about what people will lose if they don’t buy.
You will create resistance by fishing with chicken vindaloo.
Vary your influencing style to match the different audiences.