Keeping Up with the Psychology of Industrial Sales

As a salesperson, especially if you are new to industrial sales, understanding the psychology of industrial selling is crucial to closing deals successfully. The latest data on sales strategies has shown that focusing solely on the features of a product or service is not enough to persuade potential customers. 

Emotions Play a Role

One of the key principles of the psychology of selling is the recognition that emotions play a significant role in the decision-making process. When a salesperson focuses solely on listing the features of a product, they fail to tap into the emotional side of the buyer's brain. Humans are emotional beings, and their purchasing decisions are often motivated by how a product or service makes them feel.

In industrial sales, it is best to ask probing questions to find out where the ‘pain’ points are. By identifying the pain, now ask them what they have been experiencing and why they are searching for a solution. This will begin to uncover the emotions such as frustration, anger, fear due to their experience. Press more on those issues to gain additional information. Now when you give your presentation or have further detailed discussions, you can use these emotions to tie it to the product or service you offer, and show how it changes to a positive solution.

Tips to Limit Emotion

Keeping the door open for the customer to communicate back and forth with you is important. It should never be a one sided conversation where the sales person talks and leaves no room for the customer to share. Ask questions, engage with their emotions. Keep your speech slow and deliberate while keeping the conversation natural. When you speak to a friend, the conversation takes on a slower pace, as no one is feeling stressed or rushed. People can naturally sense how you feel in a conversation. If you’re stressed, maybe the tone of voice is high pitched. If you’re nervous, the voice shakes. Control the emotion by understanding that this is your opportunity to teach and educate in order to make their job experience better. There’s no need to have any emotion. Of course, there’s overhanging pressure from higher ups to make a sale. You’ll be more successful by keeping calm and emotions under control than letting them run away. 

Consultative Selling

Another crucial aspect of the psychology of industrial selling is the importance of building trust with potential customers. Buyers are wary of sales pitches that come across as pushy or insincere. Salespeople who position themselves as trusted advisors, rather than aggressive persuaders, are more likely to earn the confidence of their clients. This approach, known as consultative selling, involves asking insightful questions, actively listening to the customer's responses, and offering tailored solutions based on their specific needs. By demonstrating expertise and authority in their field, salespeople can establish themselves as credible sources of information and build long-lasting relationships with their clients.

Conclusion

The psychology of industrial selling goes far beyond simply listing the features of a product or service and having a one sided conversation with the customer. At SalesLeads, our job is to uncover those sales leads for you so you can focus on placing the lead in the funnel to close. Be sure to review our Industrial Market intelligence and Prospecting Services for more.