11 Proven Secrets to Successfully Persuade Customers for Businesses

Vũ Khôi

Author at Wotech Electronics Blog

The question "How do I persuade customers to buy?" is always a big headache for many sellers. You've probably come to this article because of difficulties in your sales process, haven't you?

If so, don't worry — in this article, SimCRM will help you tackle all the problems behind your unsuccessful sales, and will also share genuinely realistic examples of persuading customers. From there, you can sharpen your customer persuasion skills.

Let's dive into this article!

Here are the top 11 most effective secrets for persuading customers:

Open the conversation with a hook

How do you start an engaging conversation? First, you need to understand what your customers need, then shape the conversation to learn about their personality and preferences.

It sounds simple — and it really is. Prepare a friendly tone of voice and avoid calling customers "sir" or "madam"; use their real names instead. Their attitude will gradually turn positive, and you'll be able to connect with them better than before.

To make this clearer, SimCRM will give you an example of persuading customers this way. Compare the two greetings below from different sellers to grasp the trick:

Example:

1 - "Hi Trang, I saw you left a request on Facebook asking about a metal cat cage."

2 - "Hi Trang, this is A from XXXX pet accessories. I saw on Facebook that you're looking for a little home for your cat — may I ask what type you have in mind?"

Focus on the main point

Nobody wants to hear long-winded information. Every customer wants short, to-the-point details about the product. Don't ramble on about your product — sometimes the customer is simply price-shopping across multiple sellers.

So keep your conversation lean and keep interacting with the customer to hold their interest. If you drone on, they'll get bored and may instinctively choose not to buy from you.

Here is an example of persuading customers this way. Compare the two examples below:

Example:

1 - "Trang, this metal cat cage measures 20x40x60 and has a spot inside for your cat's water bowl. If you're worried about the cage's sturdiness, all our cages are aluminum-coated steel, so they're very solid. The door latch is steel-bolted, so you don't have to worry about your cat prying it open."

2 - "Trang, great choice. The home you picked is very spacious — roomy enough for two adult cats — sturdy, and it can fit extra accessories like toys and a water bowl for your cat. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

Create scarcity around the product

This is often a core secret to persuading customers. Creating scarcity is a tactic many salespeople use to close deals right at launch. It also stirs up customers' patience, curiosity, and desire to experience the product.

You can apply this tactic to your best-selling products, or use time-limited promo codes to stimulate demand — depending on whether your product is niche or mass-market.

The following example may help you understand better:

"Trang, we only have one of this item left. If you take it now, I'll place the order; otherwise it won't be back in stock for another two months. Please understand — the one you chose is a hot seller for us right now."

To persuade customers fast, respond fast

Customer needs can arise at any moment, but a salesperson isn't always on hand to pick up the phone or answer messages. Worse, if a need suddenly appears and you only show up 10 minutes later, your chance of closing the deal has already dropped by half compared to the start.

So how do you solve this? Simple: split your staff into shifts — even overnight. But this traditional approach costs you and your sales team a lot of time and money. In the 21st century, you can use automated chatbot reply-and-consultation tools on your Fanpage. Also, if customers leave their details on your website, you can use an automated email marketing system to respond to their needs instantly.

You can try SimCRM's email marketing module completely free to experience this feature.

With the list of phone numbers you collect after business hours, call them in order from most recent to oldest. This optimizes customers' waiting time.

Always use open-ended questions

In sales, the most important thing is understanding customer psychology. If you don't grasp how customers think and don't let them tell their story, you'll find it very hard to sell successfully.

Ask "why" and "what for" questions so they can tell their story. But don't overdo it — picky customers may think you're nosy and annoying.

Some example open-ended questions you can use:

• "Why did you decide to buy this cage?"

• "What was wrong with your old cage that made you switch?"

• "What would you like the new cage for your cat to be like?"

Take charge of the conversation

In a conversation between you and a customer, open-ended questions help you uncover their deeper issues. On the other hand, they can make the conversation drift. What you need to do is draw conclusions from the conversation and consolidate the customer's points.

You need to guide customers along with your questions while acting as the synthesizer. Make your "god-like" customer listen to your advice — position yourself as an expert in your sales field.

Whether you persuade customers successfully depends on how well you listen

Listening here doesn't mean listening passively — it means listening to understand. Control the conversation, ask open-ended questions — all so you can understand the customer better.

Understanding what customers truly want tells you how to advise them sensibly. From there, you can put yourself in their shoes: how they want to choose, what aesthetics they prefer, which product catches their eye.

So listen to your customers.

Use rhythmic, expressive speech on calls, and a friendly tone in messages

A technique often used to persuade customers is creating rhythm and emphasis when talking on the phone. It impresses customers and builds rapport. Customers will find you more credible and easier to be persuaded by.

When chatting over Facebook or web messages, you should also use a friendly tone to create goodwill. This helps you make an impression, and customers open up more easily when they sense how approachable the salesperson is.

Stay five steps ahead to persuade customers

This is a rule that keeps you in an active position when customers challenge you with tough questions. It's a rule followed by many sales experts around the world.

Always ask yourself "What, Why, When, How, How much" in your head for every answer you're about to give. That way, whatever the customer asks, you already have a response ready.

It's hard at first, but it becomes second nature with practice. Quick thinking is a core trait of a good salesperson.

An example of persuading customers using the five-steps-ahead method:

When you greet someone and introduce who you are, the five-steps-ahead rule lets you predict what the customer is about to ask:

• What: What is the product called?

• Why: What is the product like?

• When: When will the order be delivered / when was it made?

• How: How is it shipped? How long does shipping take? How is it used?

• How much: How much does it cost?

The same applies to all other questions. If you know what the customer will say in advance, you'll know which answer fits them best.

To persuade customers, always stay calm

When advising customers, there will surely be moments when you fail to satisfy them. Making a bad impression can easily make you lose your composure, but try to breathe evenly and calm down. In moments like these, what you need to do is apologize and offer a sensible solution.

Business is always about give and take: if your misstep lowers your closing rate, you always need to think of a solution to handle that customer. Stay calm everywhere and always — if you let emotions take over, you'll completely lose the opportunity in that deal.

Speak the customer's language

Many sellers still use industry jargon or product codes that leave customers confused. When customers are confused, the impression you make in their eyes keeps eroding.

Don't sell with codes or jargon. Your customers aren't industry insiders, they don't work with you, so they won't understand what you're saying.

A typical example of this problem: instead of asking "Are you ordering seat S0124?", you can simply say "You're ordering the large brown fabric sofa, right?" These basic cues help them remember your product more easily, which then lets you probe into other matters. In short, the easier you are to understand, the easier it is to persuade customers.

In closing: You've now grasped SimCRM's 11 effective secrets for persuading customers to buy. If anything is still unclear, leave a comment and SimCRM will do its best to answer!

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