It’s known in sales that people buy emotionally and then back their decision with logic. Isn’t it funny though, that when clients have objections, they’re usually logical? Your price is too high. I don’t like the way the contract is worded. The specifications aren’t what I expected.

Clients typically consider four criteria when deciding to buy. They can be categorized into:

1. The solutions capability – what it can do
2. Price – the cost
3. Quality – how well the product is made
4. Service – how you are treated

When it comes to buying there are two types of criteria: tangibles – price and capability, and intangibles – quality and service.

Which is more important? Well it depends. (Don’t you hate when people say that!) But it does – It depends on the client’s needs and their personality style.

There are two personality styles that are left brain – Gold and Green. Left brain dominant personalities are more focused on the tangibles since the style is to be objective. Just the facts please. Yet as I mentioned, people buy emotionally and back their decision with logic. With Golds and Greens, backing with logic is more important than the right brain personalities – Blue and Orange.

Blues and Oranges focus more on the intangibles – service and quality. It’s hard to measure the success here versus capability and price which are tangible. Right brain personalities are more subjective than objective.

Some examples of objective results are return on the investment, the warranty period, product specs and functionality as laid out in a request for proposal.

Examples of subjective results are response time, personal touch, ease of use and probably the most important is peace of mind. You can’t put a number on peace of mind, but it is a huge factor if you want to build a long term relationship that leads to repeat sales.

Consider when you get referrals. Do people refer based on price and capability? Or service and quality? It’s typically the intangibles – service and quality. The personal touch, the response, the smile, the call back. That’s what brings you back and makes you tell your friends.

Just think about buying a car. If you want a basic four door car in the $20,000 range, you can purchase a Ford or Chevy. Why would someone buy a BMW or Lexus for $50,000 with similar capability? It’s the intangibles. The quality, the service and the fact that they give you a loaner when your car needs repair. It’s the personal touches and the perceived prestige in owning a luxury car. Just like the golf commercial that advertises the Rolex. The saying is, “it doesn’t tell time, it tells history.”

When you know your client’s personality style it’s easier to predict what’s most important to them.
A great way to find out their style is to ask, “When it comes to buying _______, what’s most important to you?” Their answer will either focus on the objective and tangibles, or the subjective and intangibles.

Use their response as a guide for all future conversations.

Good selling!

©2019 Stu Schlackman