Blue Ferret BlogTip 1-22-07 - Don't Try Too Hard to Convince

Relax - you're selling too hard.

People don't really like being "sold." They like making a decision that benefits them. The mark of a super-marketer is the ability to lean a prospect's decision in your favor. But is there such a thing as trying too hard to do this?

In my experience, yes. You can only persuade as far as they want to go. Keeping this give and take in mind while selling, or crafting marketing material, will help you focus on the points best suited to convince the customer.

I think a perfect balance is the ideal place. About 50/50 between your sales efforts and their willingness. They supply the desire and justification, you supply (as a marketer) the product and reasons for the justification.

Go too far over this medium - say to 75% - and you'll push them away. How would you do that, though? And more importantly, how would you know you're selling too hard?

Some examples of trying too hard to convince someone, I think, would be:

• Excessive, value-less freebies tacked onto a sale as 'bonuses'


• Pushy salespeople


• Outrageous claims in ads/marketing material


• Passing the buck on sales claims, to anywhere else in the organization

Know any more? Let us know in the comments.

Tags: motivating customers persuasion selling service marketing