Perusasive speaking 2 - Selling a house (expensive)

Last speech I went over the steps involved in selling something. But it was something cheap, and selling to a regular person, like yourselves. So you understood the sales process, and all of you could have sold the item to my buyer, maybe not quite as well as I did it..

To reiterate, the 5 selling steps: needs id, recognition of importance, search for fulfilment, evaluation of options, d3ecision

When you sell something expensive, it’s actually the same steps, except you approach the sale differently. This is because your customer must be rich, and People with lots of money think differently to you and me, and need to be treated differently accordinlgy. In fact, a lot of you will fail miserably when selling to a rich person, because you don’t understand how they think. They don’t think like you. Which is why you’re poor.

There are 3 psychiological principles that rich people work according to. You need to understand them and use them:

1)      All rich people aspire to be even richer. In fact, they like people to think they are richer than they really are. Therefore it is important to make it clear that your typical customer is actually richer than him, and you would be doing him a favour by selling it to him. That way he aspires to own the product you’re selling. Immediately you have established a powerful need.

2)       Rich people only respect people richer than they are. This is to do with credibility, how can a poor person know what the requirements of a rich person are? So it is pointless trying to make the sale until you have made it very clear that you are richer than he is. Especially if you aren’t.

3)      Rich people are competitive. They only want what other people want, and principly to deprive ordinary people of anything worth having. Which is why your favourite seaside holiday resort always ends upbeing sold off and developed into a multi million rand marina.

Selling expensive stuff can take long, because it’s so risky and the buyer wants to consider all aspects, wants to discuss it, wants to think about it. As a salesperson, you want to get the sale done and move on, go do something more useful. Like going for a beer with your mates. So you need to urge the seller, shortcut all that evaluation process, and get to the decision. There are various techniques to achieve this,  I will demonstrate some of them here.

In this sell, I’ve taken a buyer to look at an expensive house. I’ve arranged some of my friends to help out at various points, just to get the decision faster.

Mr Hunt, This is the house. As I mentioned, it’s extremely good value. I’m only showing it to you because you look like discerning people who can appreciate the finer things, and I don’t like to waste my time showing it to people who are tasteless and vulgar and won’t make an offer. I like you and see you have the taste and moral standing to appreciate this house. In fact, I know of no other house that would suit you better. I’m expecting to sell it at the latest this afternoon, since a guy is flying in from overseas then, and he will take it for sure. But if it meets your needs, I am prepared to sell it to you now, and I’ll show him another, more expensive house.

It’s a bit bigger than we thought. How much is it?

Its.R5.3 m. I don’t normally deal with such cheap houses but I’m doing it as a favour for the seller, who is a friend of my maids.

We were hoping to not spend so much.

Then what am I doing here? You should have said you guys are struggling. I wouldn’t have guessed, you look OK. I’ll take you back to the office and Phineas the gardener will take you to see some nice cheap houses. But are you sure?  Are you really going to buy a house without it’s won indoor pool? How will you prevent your kids catching penumoia and anding upo in hispitral? Or a house without stables? How can you deprive yourselves and your children of the most noble pastime, horse riding? Or a house without a 12ft wall aoround? Don’t you value your family’s lives? Can you afford not to buy a house just like this? This is very similar to my house, and I certaionly would enver consider anything less.

Well, if you put it that we. We do love ourselves. We even love our children a bit.

Ok, that’s more like it. Now this is the kitchen.

It looks like there’s a roof leak here. And the tiles are coming off there.

Hold on, I’ve got a call. Yes? I’m showing some people the house now, I’m not sure it will still be available. You’ll offer the asking price? Mmmm… Oh yes, I see you’ve emailed the offer through. Ok, I’ll let you know if you can have it.

You were saying? Hold on, there’s a knock on the door.

Hi. I saw the for sale sign. I’ve been wanting this house for years. The position is unique. I have to have it. This place is worth a fortune, I would do anything to have it. Anythiong.

I’m sorry, I’m busy with potential buyers now.

You make an offer 10% over the asking price? Well that’s nice, but I don’t work like that. Ok, thanks for the card, I’ll let you know.

Damn, these people are so persistent. Listen, if you are finished viewing the house, you can see I’m under a lot of pressure. I have another appointment in half an hour across town. I suggest that you sign the offer now which I have prepared for you here, and I’ll let you take her at asking price. I can’t be fairer than that. And I’m only letting you have this deal because I’m in a hurry. And because of the roof leak. I haven’t got time to fix it.

The persuasive process

As you can see I used the auction principle effectively to get the sale going and to get the piece up. A bit of prep is required for this.