Psychology plays a crucial part in the sales and negotiation process. And the smart salesperson will use strategies and psychological tricks to gain advantage to get ahead and enhance your chances to close the deal.

Professional sales training companies Inner Leader can help sales managers and salespeople to recognize and master the mind games and psychological ruses that are frequently employed in conversations with salespeople. In the Psychology of Negotiation is a important and extensive training program in which delegates will learn the four main styles of negotiation, as well as how to react effectively to negotiation tricks and how to avoid manipulation tactics deployed by the opposing party.

Armed with the information and techniques this course teaches those who sells will have an understanding of the games people play during negotiations and be better equipped to overcome them.

Without them realising it their customers’ opinions and decisions are influenced by a salesperson who knows what buttons to press. To give you an advantage over you competitors and to aid you in improving your sales skills and win more business Here we share five secrets to sales psychology.

You only have seven seconds to make the best impression.

Studies have shown that people make snap judgments – rightly or wrongly -about the character of a person and their trustworthiness in just seven seconds of having them meet in the very first instance.

Once you’ve made it, it’s difficult to alter someone’s initial summation of you, so for a salesperson giving a prospective customer an excellent first impression is vital to running a profitable business with them.

At a minimum, you should dress professionally and smile. Also, extend your hand to greet others with a smile, and project an aura of genuine warmth, honesty and friendliness.

People automatically look for connections and the same ground.

In any kind of environment or when introduced to new people for the first, it is our nature to seek out things which connect us to each other or to the world around us. Discovering common ground or sharing interests can break the ice and create feelings of safety and trust. Salespeople must be taking the initiative to discover mutual links which can be utilized to build relationships with potential customer, as the human nature suggests that we tend to buy from a person with whom have a strong connection or relationship than from a complete stranger.

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The emotions overrule logic

Decisions to purchase are often driven by emotions and desires more than logical motives and it is a psychological trait that is well-known and exploited by the advertising industry. Attracting customers’ emotions like the fear (‘if you don’t act now, you’ll lose out and regret the decision’), pride (‘our product will place you far ahead of your competition’) or greed (‘buy one, get two free’) is a powerful sales gambit.

Believe in yourself and your product and the client will too.

Confidence is everything in the selling game and it is crucial that salespeople display self-belief as well as their complete belief in the product or service that they are selling. It is a naturally attractive trait, and being able to communicate your message without having to fumble with the words or not concentrating while showing an underlying enthusiasm for the product or service is an essential element of selling success.

Become your potential customer

The best method to mentally outsmart your client and get ahead during the sales process is to discover as much concerning them and their needs and driving factors, and the thinking process that guides their buying decisions as you can. Based on this knowledge, put yourself in the shoes of your client and imagine how they would feel about your pitch. Occupying their mind set, ask yourself what sort of objections, concerns or questions you could ask as a potential customer. Imagine how they could consider your product in relation to their needs in business and their overall strategy. By doing this you should be able to anticipate and address any potential obstacles to selling as soon as they arise.

The use of psychological techniques in the area of negotiations and sales is an fascinating and vast subject, and the strategies and knowledge they provide can prove beneficial for salespeople.