How to Convince Anyone to Buy a Product or Service

Did the title shock you, or provoke a response from you in any way?

If you are a star sales performer, or are experienced within the sales industry, then you might be thinking I don't know what I'm talking about. Surely modern sales is all about providing an environment where people can buy rather than be convinced to buy something?
There was a reason I did this, I promise. About 14 months ago, I was having a conversation with a fellow sales professional, in which we discussed the increasingly negative connotations associated with the word "convince." Many industry commentators were saying sales was not about strong-arm tactics or convincing people to buy. While I agree that modern selling is about providing an environment where people buy, I was not quite sure the humble phrase deserved the negative press it was getting. Some of the definitions of the word convince are:

•Causing one to believe the truth of something
•Having a strong belief or conviction
And from the mighty Websters dictionary came:
•To bring to belief, consent, or a course of action

I don't know about you, but these are some qualities I seek to bring about in my sales interactions. I definitely want people to see the truth of something, and when I do, it is with a strong belief and conviction. Of course, generally there is a requirement to bring about a course of action.

That conversation sparked an idea for a little experiment that has rolled out over the last 14 months. On my blog, I wrote a post called "How to Convince Someone to Buy From You." In it, I included one of my favorite quotes from Dale Carnegie: