Conversational Hypnosis - A Powerful Sales Tool

While it is not a magic cure-all, conversational hypnosis can be an effective tool for applying your best selling skills. Hypnosis works because the subconscious is more easily influenced than the conscious mind and it takes about two minutes of conversation to slip into a trance state. When you do this, you are able to bypass the critical factor and create an emotional bond. At that point, customers are much more open to suggestion - they will be ready and willing to buy from you or listen to your suggestions.

To apply conversational hypnosis successfully in sales situations, there are three phases; empathy building phase, bonding phase and suggestion phase.

Empathy building phase: In this phase, you need to establish a link between you and your prospect. Start by demonstrating that you are genuinely interested in your prospect's needs. This will impress them and make them trust you more. You can do this by validating the way they think or recognize the value of what they have already achieved. For example, if the prospect says she is looking for a job, instead of telling her that she should update her resume and start job hunting, you can say something like, "I understand how hard it is to start over." or "I know how important it is to be fulfilled in your work." These statements show that you understand her perspective which establishes a bond between both of you.

Bonding phase: This is the most important phase in which you influence your prospect to feel good about you and be more open to what you have to say. You can do this by using words and body language that indicate that you are more than just a seller. For instance, if the seller has noted from her research that the prospect is looking for a job with a stable income, she must try to use words, such as "individual," "earn," and "security," in her speech. The buyer will not only listen intently but also feel good about this person because she appears familiar with their needs.

Suggestion phase: This is the last and most crucial phase in which you get your buyer to do what you want. For example, if the buyer says she is interested in earning more money, he can be made to believe that he can by simply saying things like "I know how hard it is to start over. I know how important it is to be fulfilled with work." By using conversational hypnosis, sellers can apply these three steps effectively, thus improving their sales results significantly.

How to apply conversational hypnosis:

1) Build up rapport. This will help establish a rapport with your prospect and ultimately create a positive feeling of trustworthiness towards you.

2) By passing on current trends, you can become more knowledgeable and popular with the prospect. For instance, if the product that you are selling is featured in a magazine published by the same company your prospect is working for, you may want to mention this so that you gain their trust.

3) Use questions to engage your prospect in conversation and make her feel important. You should be able to answer any questions asked by your prospect without having to consult anybody else.

4) When speaking with your prospects, put yourself in their shoes and imagine what they need or what they would like. After this, use phrases such as "I understand exactly how hard it is to start over. I know how important it is to be fulfilled with work."

5) Use your body language to show that you are the expert in this field. For instance, if you were selling houses, make sure that your stance is open and welcoming. If you were selling cars, make sure your body language is relaxed and that your arms are hanging straight down. If a prospect sees that you are not aggressive or defensive but rather relaxed, this will immediately give them a sense of peace and create a safe environment for discussion.

6) You can also use various methods of non-verbal communication to build rapport. Firstly, use honest eye contact in a natural way and look at the prospect's pupils instead of just their eyes all the time. This will show that you are genuine and trustworthy. Secondly, you can use non-verbal signals such as smiling at the prospect. When a buyer senses that you are happy and smiley towards them, this will make them feel more relaxed and put them at ease.

7) Don't overdo hypnosis, you don't have to be in a deep trance all the time but try making eye contact with the prospect beforehand. This will set a powerful tone and subconsciously your prospect will feel comfortable talking to you because they already know what to expect from you.

8) Speak slowly when speaking with the prospect so that he gets used to listening attentively to what you have to say.

9) Don't start speaking to your prospect too quickly. You need to give him a chance to adjust, so wait just a minute before you start talking. When you do speak, keep your voice even and make sure that your pitch is the same as when you are not speaking (it should be at an even and conversational level).

10) If a customer is having problems with the product you have sold them, don't be dismissive. For example, if they have said they are looking for a job but they cannot seem to get any prospects coming in, try and sympathize with that by saying things like "I know how hard it is to start over. The best thing you can do is to update the way in which you look for a job and start studying for a job fair."

11) Don't be aggressive or defensive when selling. Instead, be relaxed and make sure that your body language is body-friendly. When your prospects feel at ease with you, they are more likely to buy from you than if they feel that they are being pushed around.

12) If your prospect says he is interested in earning more money, use words such as "I know how hard it is to start over" or "I know how important it is to be fulfilled with work." These things show that you have put yourself into his shoes and understand his perspective.

13) Don't be afraid to stop the conversation. If the prospect asks you another question and you don't know the answer, don't pretend to know or get a friend or family member to give you the answer. You must always be honest and say that you don't know, even if this means that your sale does not go as planned. This shows that you are confident in yourself as a seller and will make your prospects trust your ability to solve their problems.

If you think of applying conversational hypnosis, then try it out! You can do this by reading up on these tips and then try out this strategy at different places where there are prospects.

Conclusion

As a salesperson, conversational hypnosis is an important skill to learn because it helps you establish rapport, to persuade your prospects and ultimately help them trust you. This can help you earn more money with minimum effort. However, before applying this strategy, it is important that you gain knowledge on how it works and how to apply it properly by reading more articles along these lines.