PMG Power Blog: 10 Steps Leading Your Prospect to Yes (or No)

As you know, a customer’s character and their personality are linked. Did you also know there is a defined psychological process to every sale?
 
Whether it is a small one dollar purchase or a million dollar purchase, research has shown the human brain goes through a 10-step buying process before making every purchase. A greater understanding of each step will help you better serve your prospects and ultimately make more sales.
 
I promise it’s worth your time to really contemplate each of the ten steps and evaluate how you enable your prospects during each phase.

1. Involuntary Attention: Before a client ever considers buying a policy, their attention must be piqued. This is often done by subtle messages they do not even recognize.
   
   
2. The First Impression: Yes, first impressions do count!  If their first impression of either you or the product isn’t satisfactory, the prospect will move on.
   
   
3. Curiosity: Humans have an instinctual need to explore the unknown. Once their interest is piqued, they tend to look for how else the product can benefit them and/or what else you can offer.
   
   
4. Interest: If you have done your job well thus far, the prospect’s curiosity will turn to interest. This is the stage of the buying game when they begin asking questions and need solid answers.
   
   
5. Consideration: Having had their initial questions answered, your prospects will begin considering the purchase, but only if they see any real value in it.
   
   
6. Imagination: All too often agents and advisors disregard the prospect’s need to imagine themselves using and owning the product. Without this important link they might not think the policy is worth purchasing.
   
   
7. Desire: Seeing themselves use the policy and “wanting” it are two different emotions.  If you can elicit the “want” feeling in your prospect and you have nearly completed the sale.
   
   
8. Deliberation: This is the part of the process when your prospect begins trying to either talk themselves into or out of the purchase.
   
   
9. Decision: Once he or she has all of the facts and can sort through their options, they will make a decision; to buy or not to buy.
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10. Action: After the decision is made; action is necessary. This is what we know as “the close.” 

Keep in mind that some prospects and clients move very quickly through these steps, only taking a few minutes. Others take hours or even days to work their way through each of the ten psychological buying steps necessary to make a final decision.
 
It is your job as an agent or advisor to understand all of the steps and help your prospects work through any roadblocks they may encounter along the way. However, it is vital that you not push them through the process as each and every step is very important. Instead, be a guide in their decision-making process. Mastering this skill will help you exponentially increase your sales and income!
 

 
P.S. Let me know if you’re interested in learning my proven seven-step sales process that has allowed me to consistently earn a seven-figure income year after year. I’m creating a new program right now where I divulge all of my secrets, and you can be the first to know when it launches in 2016! Just click here, and I’ll put your name on the list… 

Submitted by: Dennis M. Postema, President & CEO of Postema Marketing Group, LLC

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