What every sale guru says:
“Tell them they’re missing out” (that’ll get them moving)
It’s what EVERY sales guru says – so it must be right, right?
It’s the oldest hat in the sales circus (or something like that)
It comes back to the idea that you need to instill a sense of urgency or otherwise your prospect will dither and not take action.
How to use FOMO in corporate sales
But how do you do that selling to corporates without coming across as an over-dramatic arse?
Should you talk of “burning platforms”? Bleurgh, I hate that phrase – totally overused in change management
Should you talk about artificial deadlines “buy now” style? Good luck with that
Should you tell them they’re missing out…? Weeeell, yes, kinda (but not the way you think)
Using the traditional tactics of telling them that your offer is going to expire, that prices are going up or that some bonus is going to disappear are NOT going to work. It’s simply not how corporate decisions work. So you have to get a bit more creative because it IS true that FOMO is a powerful motivator.
So…
- Tell your prospect that others are reaping the benefits. Explaining to your prospect that others who were in similar situations as they but resolved their challenges and are now benefiting from having it resolved can be very motivating.
- Show them that NOT taking action will mean they’ll stay stuck in the swamp they’re in. Wishful thinking is not just something that illogical people do – it’s a very common human cognitive bias (and yes, I bet you fall for it sometimes, too!). In corporates, this means that decisions are put off, in the hope that issues will resolve themselves in some way or that some small action will somehow magically provide a solution. It’s a tricky issue to deal with – but you cannot dodge it. You have to find ways to show them that they will have to change something if they want different results. A great way to do this is via analogies and case studies.
- Point out that things are only going to get worse (because magic is rare). Following on from the point above: another tricky one to navigate but essential if you want to get the YES!
BUT if you stop here, chances are they simply clamp up, pretend it’s not that bad or that they’ve got it all under control. (that happened to me a lot at the beginning)
Give them more
So go further and give them the clear, specific and effective steps they can take to solve their issue. Of course, include working with you here but don’t leave it at that – paint the picture of what that actually looks like!
Set out clearly what each step along the way looks like. Not just what it IS but also what is involved, how it will take place, what to expect.
Be very specific what will be needed – from them and from others to make the steps happen
Ensure they can appreciate the effectiveness of each step. This means telling them exactly what they can expect to happen as a result of each step – what will they notice? How will they feel?
This works because a) you are treating them with respect (and that means you don’t feel sleazy either), you’re giving them a real choice and real value (again, not sleaze) and c) they start to imagine themselves in taking action AND working with you – win’s all around!
