{"id":21836,"date":"2020-09-04T10:11:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T14:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/?p=21836"},"modified":"2020-12-11T11:37:24","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T16:37:24","slug":"how-emotional-selling-can-drive-business-for-msps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/r-swca2-app15-sherwebbl-change-font-czgcf8cmcjh3asb3.canadacentral-01.azurewebsites.net\/blog\/partner\/how-emotional-selling-can-drive-business-for-msps\/","title":{"rendered":"How emotional selling can drive business for MSPs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever been taken aback by your own impulse, your instinct, your reaction to a certain situation? Here\u2019s a fun fact: we\u2019re slaves to our brains. Shaped by millions of years of evolution, the grey matter is the veritable engine of our entire life experience. And while the popular symbol to feeling things might be the heart, both reason and<\/em> emotion are created and processed in the brain.<\/p>\n

What does this mean for MSP sales<\/a>? It certainly pays off to learn more about human psychology. It doesn\u2019t take long for prospects to form an opinion about you\u2014often just a few seconds. If you want consistent and repeatable customer acquisition<\/a>, you need to understand what\u2019s going on in the brains of your buyers. It\u2019ll allow you to effectively tailor what and who you\u2019re selling to.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t some hokey-pokey new-age shamanism. Neither is it mind tricks or undue influence. It\u2019s proven science that will allow you to better structure your sales methodology<\/a>. Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n

\"MBA<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Buying psychology<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We all buy things all the time. Let\u2019s have a look at what happens in the brain during the buying journey; you tell us if you recognize these unconscious processes!<\/p>\n

Primacy<\/h3>\n

AKA the first, immediate impression. The general judgment whether something is important or not and whether you should pay attention to it.<\/p>\n

Anchoring<\/h3>\n

Since a lot of variables are at play when making a decision, the brain wants to focus on one key aspect that will facilitate the process. This could be the price, your perception of the other party etc.<\/p>\n

Premature cognitive commitment<\/h3>\n

A cool indie band name, but also a fancy way of saying we make up our minds quickly and without much data. We\u2019re wired to make choices quickly, which is a great survival technique; however, it presents a\u00a0significant hurdle for salespeople.<\/p>\n

Confirmation bias<\/h3>\n

Not unique to buying\/selling but rather present in all aspects of our lives. We tend to collect information that suggests we\u2019re right and ignore opinions pointing out we might be wrong. We always look for info that supports our decision.<\/p>\n

Consistency principle<\/h3>\n

Once we make a decision, we hardly ever change it. This is a powerful behavioral pattern that withstands most contrasting or contradictory evidence.<\/p>\n

Recency<\/h3>\n

Your brain pays attention to the beginnings and endings of things, while the middle tends to go ignored. It\u2019s designed this way to save energy, of which it consumes a disproportionate amount.<\/p>\n

This all sounds very emotional<\/h4>\n

Looking at these processes, you\u2019re probably thinking one thing: this isn\u2019t the right way to choose an MSP<\/a> at all! It\u2019s too emotion-driven, too illogical, and most of it happens in the unconscious.<\/p>\n

You are absolutely right. And yet, this is how our brains make choices. Sellers have traditionally focused on meeting a customer\u2019s need as it contrasts with the competitors\u2019 offer (solution selling<\/em>), but that\u2019s difficult to do now that selling technology essentially means selling an everyday commodity.<\/p>\n

What now? Enter emotional selling.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emotional selling vs. transactional\/solution selling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are strategies to employ that\u2019ll help you benefit from emotional selling and the way the human brain is wired. Successful managed services sellers have a strong front and back end, showing the value and emotional connection vis \u00e0 vis what the prospect is looking to purchase.<\/p>\n

The critical element: a documented sales process, regardless of what your actual sales procedures might be. Map out what your sales motion looks like and produce some documentation\/reusable assets to support and drive it. Make the buying psychology work in your favor: even though you\u2019re selling the same thing, you can still look\u2014and feel\u2014<\/em>different.<\/p>\n

Emotional priorities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a common issue, really: the seller and buyer mindsets are not aligned. The prospect cares about other things than the sales rep. When describing the product, sales professionals tend to unconsciously go from the bottom up\u2014saving the most important aspect for last, long after the buyer\u2019s gone through all the stages of the emotional decision-making process described above.<\/p>\n

Once you realize there\u2019s an issue, the remedy\u2019s obvious: chance the sequence in which you ask questions. Cost comes last; the prospect knows everything comes at a\u00a0price and that \u2018fast-good-cheap\u2019 doesn\u2019t exist. Instead, start with their objectives, perceived risk and business challenges.<\/p>\n

Emotional discovery<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s another strategy, borrowed by salespeople from therapists: start with the \u2018what\u2019 questions, then the \u2018hows,\u2019 then the \u2018whys.\u2019 Not the other way around! Show that you\u2019re willing to truly understand and build a relationship with your customer<\/a>. It\u2019s a powerful way to drive engagement and trust, in addition to really giving you a better picture of your client\u2019s business needs and helping you stand out among other companies that haven\u2019t revised their playbook in years.<\/p>\n

Each type of question activates a different part of the brain. The \u2018whats\u2019 are logical, the \u2018hows\u2019 are visual and the \u2018whys\u2019 are emotional. By sequencing the questions like this, you\u2019ll gradually activate the emotional part of the brain, which, compared to the logical brain, creates infinitely more instructions per second. You\u2019ll see your win rate skyrocket!<\/p>\n

Emotional differentiation: how to set yourself apart<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You could prepare rational arguments, logical explanations or in-depth presentations. But the real differentiation happens on the emotional level, often in a very casual, flippant manner.<\/p>\n

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  1. Call it a channel, an industry or a vertical. No matter the nomenclature, though, you need to show your prospect you belong to the same group. I know your reality, I speak your language, I understand your acronyms. We naturally like people we have something in common with.<\/li>\n
  2. Our primary motivators are fear and desire, and of the two, fear is by far the stronger one. We are by no means implying you should engage in fearmongering or panic strategies. However, it should be noted most buyers will respond to the prospect of risk reduction with gratitude and relief. Show your clients how you can reduce risk for them; it\u2019s a piece of cake for security, compliance, or data protection.<\/li>\n
  3. Create an \u2018alignment email\u2019 at the end of your discovery cycle or meeting with new clients, whether you\u2019ve met online or remotely. It\u2019ll help set you apart from competitors who don\u2019t have one!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Create a template that can be reused and tweaked as needed. Remember, since the brain rewards simplicity, you want to give your business proposal a visual form. It\u2019s highly impactful\u2014again, we tend to pay attention to the endings. You want to be in the prospect\u2019s line of sight right before they make their choice. Just don\u2019t make it overly complex!<\/p>\n

    Presenting your proposal & closing the deal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    We all know that most MSPs\u2019 proposals look practically identical every time. So how do you make yours stand out?<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s okay if the content of your proposal presentation doesn\u2019t change radically from account to account, especially if you focus on a particular vertical or industry. Still, try this: call your prospect before you send the proposal over and ask for 30 minutes of their time. Typically, they won\u2019t be annoyed; most actually appreciate when someone genuinely cares about the details.<\/p>\n

    Have a brief discussion about the highest points of tension in the deal: these tend to be aspects with high risk or financial stakes. Ask transition questions to make sure you haven\u2019t missed anything. Some examples:<\/p>\n