My mother is the epitome of a sales lady; capable of turning leads into buyers and "selling ice to the eskimos". It's a talent I have been trying to learn for years; and found in my collection of unread articles, was one that boast six reasons someone will believe. The art of selling, I've learned, has a lot to do with being convincing -- far less about products sold and more about having people join a conversation; telling them a story they want to be a part of. From my last post's tip of "yes, and", these six points build on a seducing technique.

1 -- Reciprocacy: People are more willing to give after they have received. If a company can be the first to give, make it personal & unexpected, then they too may get customers to give their time and (ultimately) money.

2 -- Scarcity: What we can't have, we want more. An airline previously booking 2 trips to NY reduced it's trips to one a day yet saw sales for travelling to The Big Apple skyrocket. By listing the benefits of a product/service, what's unique about it and what people stand to loose, makes all the more reason for them to buy now.

3 -- Authenticity: This is a big one. With technology intertwined at our every point of connection, we know when we're being sold to and when a brand actually cares about us. People also follow the knowledge of experts who are credible and can be referred. Sharing real results with followers and fans builds brand trust with each fulfilled promise.

4 -- Consistency: Selling hamburgers one day at 5 cents and the next at $3.95 isn't a good idea. Promotional offers are good for driving business and rewarding your existing customers but selling products shouldn't feel like the stock market. People like to know what they're going to get.

5 -- Liking: Generally, people prefer to say yes to those they like. We like people who are similar to us, give us compliments and cooperate with us. Being likeable is established way before getting down to business.

6 -- Consensus: "People do this, you should to". We often base our behaviour off the behaviour of others. If other people are liking something, we're curious to see if we'll like it to.

Just some food for thought on how to sell something. Thanks for reading!