By Megan Ritter
Sometimes it can be difficult to persuade others to work with you in order to achieve a common goal. If you’re working in the B2B market and you’re having trouble reaching out to others, chances are that you haven’t been focusing on the most important methods of persuasion. In some cases, simply changing the way that you say or do something can have a positive effect on a business relationship. In other words, presentation is incredibly important and you’ll see exactly why as you pour over these six helpful techniques:
By Megan Ritter
Sometimes it can be difficult to persuade others to work with you in order to achieve a common goal. If you’re working in the B2B market and you’re having trouble reaching out to others, chances are that you haven’t been focusing on the most important methods of persuasion. In some cases, simply changing the way that you say or do something can have a positive effect on a business relationship. In other words, presentation is incredibly important and you’ll see exactly why as you pour over these six helpful techniques:
1. Consensus
People like to be a part of the collective, and they will oftentimes do anything to fall in line with the rest of humanity. It is for this reason that it’s important to make someone feel like they are part of a consensus when you are trying to convince them to do something. If you indicate that others who are similar to them have also participated in a particular action, people are more likely to participate in said action themselves than they otherwise would have been.
2. Consistency
Everyone wants to be seen as a consistent individual, especially in the B2B business. You can use this desire to your advantage by reminding people of the decisions they have made in the past. This technique is especially useful if you are trying to convince someone to make a much bigger decision in the end, as they are more likely to agree to doing something if they have already agreed to similar propositions before.
3. Authority
Believe it or not, presenting yourself or someone else as an authority on certain matters can improve the likelihood that people will do business with you. While being careful not to come across as being an elitist, you can establish authority yourself or have someone else present you as an authoritative figure. Train your team to represent your business in the best way possible, and you will most likely find that they are more willing to work with you.
4. Reciprocity
Gift giving is perhaps one of most celebrated activities in the world. Perhaps this is why it tends to have such a powerful effect on how people respond to you. When you give a gift to someone or perform a favor for them, they tend to feel indebted to you in some way. You can use this to your advantage by giving small favors or gifts to those you are doing business with, which will prompt them to do even more business with you in the future. If they feel like they are working with a generous individual, people are more likely to give back in kind. Many companies have used this strategy by implementing contests, giveaways and other such concepts.
5. Scarcity
If you present a product or service as being scarce and hard to come by, people will be more likely to desire it. Often, it doesn’t even matter what you’re working with – if a customer knows that you have something that is difficult to find, they are more likely to buy it. You can use this technique to your advantage by presenting your products or services as being low in stock.
6. Liking
This one is rather obvious. If somebody likes you, they are more likely to do business with you. So how do you get someone to like you? Simple: find similarities between the two of you and compliment them. Okay, so being likeable requires a bit more effort from time to time, but when it comes to business, you don’t have much time to waste. In this case, you should focus on finding something that you have in common with the person and complementing their taste or character.
What to Take Away
The art of persuasion isn’t about fooling people or taking advantage of them; it is about changing the way you approach conversations and meetings in order to ensure the most positive outcome. These techniques can have a powerful influence not only in business, but in everyday life as well. If you alter the way you present yourself and what you have to say, you might just find that you’re making more business acquaintances and friends, both at work and in your daily life as well. If you change the way you think about persuasion, it could just change your life.
Megan Ritter is an online writer with a background in online marketing. In addition to sharing how to leverage social media for B2B, her writing also covers other social marketing tips, unified communications, globalization, and technology. Follow her on Twitter @megmarieritter
