There is Science Behind This Fundamental Selling Mistake
This article on Fast Company mentions a phenomenon I think is very common in sales. It's when we are doing the selling and assume the client has a particular attitude based on a certain behaviour we observe (or a response we receive from them).
Fundamental Attribution Error:
The judgment (that we make) is what’s called, in psychology, the Fundamental Attribution Error. Meaning that we tend to attribute people’s behavior to their core character rather than to their situation.
The take-away: When selling, don't jump to conclusions about what the client is thinking based on a certain behaviour, or response, from them. Look for other clues as to what might be driving the behaviour. You should attempt to discover if it is the situation that is causing them to react in the way you observe. Maybe they don't act/think/talk like that all the time.
Maybe you can even ask them about it.
Example: "Mary, I notice you don't seem very interested in (mention a certain feature or benefit). Is that right? Can you tell me why?"
Remember your motto when selling: Seek first to understand.
Fundamental Attribution Error:
The judgment (that we make) is what’s called, in psychology, the Fundamental Attribution Error. Meaning that we tend to attribute people’s behavior to their core character rather than to their situation.
The take-away: When selling, don't jump to conclusions about what the client is thinking based on a certain behaviour, or response, from them. Look for other clues as to what might be driving the behaviour. You should attempt to discover if it is the situation that is causing them to react in the way you observe. Maybe they don't act/think/talk like that all the time.
Maybe you can even ask them about it.
Example: "Mary, I notice you don't seem very interested in (mention a certain feature or benefit). Is that right? Can you tell me why?"
Remember your motto when selling: Seek first to understand.
Labels: conversational selling, sales, sales skills
posted by Stuart Ayling @ 9:57 PM
2 Comments:
At 3:45 PM,
Eigenmann Family said…
Hi Stuart,
Interesting point you (and Fast Company) makes.
Stuart, is the saying "don't judge a book by its cover!" another representation of the psychological 'fundamental attribution error' you mention?
There's a great example of that in the movie "Pretty Woman' (for those who are old enough to have seen it) when the sales person in a Rodeo Drive fashion shop misses on a huge commission for thinking that Julia Roberts couldn't afford the clothes.
"Big mistake!" as Julia's characters tells the salesperson in the movie.
Daniel Eigenmann
At 4:14 PM,
Stuart Ayling said…
Thanks for your comment Daniel - and yes, I suppose it is like the saying 'dont judge a book by its cover' - but from the perspective that the 'cover' we are seeing may have an underlying reason behind it.
I think the science part of it goes beyond the mere appearance (like judging a book), and tries to identify the contributing factor/s.
It's not to say the appearance/behaviour we see from a person isn't correct (or normal) - maybe it is normal for them in that type of situation - but just we need to understand what is driving it.
Post a Comment
<< Home