what influences human behavior?

W H AT I N F L U E N C E S H U M A N B E H AV I O R ?

MHI

Sales Workshop

D AV I D H O F F E L D

W H AT I N F L U E N C E S H U M A N B E H AV I O R ?

S C I E N T I F I C B R E A K T H R O U G H S

▪ Social Psychology

▪ Communication Theory

▪ Cognitive Psychology

▪ Social Neuroscience

▪ Cognitive Neuroscience

▪ Behavioral Economics

Carl Sagan

“Science is more than a body

of knowledge. It is a way of

thinking.”

U N P R E C E D E N T E D O P P O R T U N I T Y : S C I E N C E - B A S E D S E L L I N G

U N P R E C E D E N T E D O P P O R T U N I T Y : S C I E N C E - B A S E D S E L L I N G

U N P R E C E D E N T E D O P P O R T U N I T Y : S C I E N C E - B A S E D S E L L I N G

How you think determines your behaviors

and the results you produce

▪ Part 1: How the brain forms buying decisions

▪ Part 2: Rules of influence

▪ Part 3: Q & A

T O D A Y ’ S A G E N D A

H O W D O E S T H E B R A I N M A K E B U Y I N G D E C I S I O N S ?

H O W T H E B R A I N I S I N F L U E N C E D T O C R E A T E B U Y I N G D E C I S I O N S

Key Point:The goal of your sales process should be to guide

buyers in committing to the salesperson’s message

(central route) while using heuristics (peripheral

route) to effectively convey that message.

H O W T H E B R A I N I S I N F L U E N C E D T O C R E A T E B U Y I N G D E C I S I O N S

▪ How does the brain create a buying decision?

▪ Hundreds of scientific studies have found that small

commitments naturally lead to larger ones

Commitments are the reference

points our brains use when

constructing buying decisions

S C I E N C E - B A S E D S E L L I N G :

S T R A T E G I C C O M M I T M E N T S

S T R A T E G I C C O M M I T M E N T S A R E B U I L D I N G B L O C K S O F T H E S A L E

▪ The decision to purchase is made throughout the sales

process

▪ Strategic, incremental commitments guide buyers through a

natural progression of consent and into the final decision to

purchase

SIX WHYSsix specific questions, each beginning with the

word “Why,” that represent the mental steps

all potential clients go through when making a

purchasing choice

▪ The Six Whys are the commitments buyers must make

to say “yes” to any purchase

▪ Research shows that if buyers do not make even certain

essential commitments, the buying process breaks down

S I X W H Y S

G O A L O F E V E RY S A L E S P R O C E S S : C O M M I T M E N T S TO S I X W H Y S

S I X W H Y S▪ Enables you to gain an accurate understanding of the true

nature of your client’s problems

▪ Guides you in compellingly revealing to clients how you can

help them solve those problems

88%of buyers believe that salespeople do not understand

their problems enough to be able to help solve them

Aligning Selling With Buying

“Commitments unlock the sale.

It’s just so easy when you get

your commitments.”

Which of the Six Whys are you least effective at

addressing?

A. Why Change?

B. Why Now?

C. Why Your Industry Solution?

D. Why You & Your Company?

E. Why Your Product or Service?

F. Why Spend The Money?

▪ Which of the Six Whys are you least effective at addressing?

▪ What can you do to strengthen that part of your sales process?

U S I N G T H E S I X W H Y S E X E R C I S E

H O W T H E B R A I N I S I N F L U E N C E D T O C R E A T E B U Y I N G D E C I S I O N S

▪ Mental reflexes or shortcuts the brain

instinctively makes when forming

judgments

▪ “Predictably Irrational”

▪ Rules of influence

▪ Shape perception & present in every

selling situation

▪ Increase sales by leveraging them in

your favor

Daniel Kahneman

2002 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

H E U R I S T I C S

H E U R I S T I C :S I N G L E - O P T I O N A V E R S I O N

Single Option Aversion = when the brain is presented with

a single option it assigns more risk to the decision than when

presented with multiple options in a choice set

vs.

10% of buyers say “yes”

Single Option Aversion = when the brain is presented with

a single option it assigns more risk to the decision than when

presented with multiple options in a choice set

vs.

10% of buyers say “yes”

34% of buyers say “yes” 32% of buyers say “yes”

H E U R I S T I C :S I N G L E - O P T I O N A V E R S I O N

H E U R I S T I C : S O C I A L P R O O F

T H E I M PA C T O F S O C I A L P R O O F

Social Proof = connects the persuasiveness of an idea with

how others are responding to it

▪ Reduces the perception of risk & can help clients see

change in a positive way

▪ Show what others are doing: “Our most popular option

is…” or “What others in your situation usually choose is…”

▪ Leverage it in your favor: “The most

common way to deal with this issue is…”

▪ Share stories of past customers

➢ Third Party Stories

➢ Case Studies

S E L L I N G W I T H S O C I A L P R O O F

H E U R I S T I C : R E A C TA N C E

H E U R I S T I C : R E A C TA N C E

▪ The innate desire that occurs when one perceives his or her

ability to freely choose is being restricted

▪ People instinctively want to feel in control

▪ Blinds potential customers and sales

N E U T R A L I Z I N G R E A C TA N C E

N E U T R A L I Z I N G R E A C TA N C E

▪ Phrases That Reduce Reactance:

▪ “Of course, its up to you.”

▪ “It’s your choice.”

▪ Case Study

▪ “You can let me know if you want to use it.”

▪ Closing percentage went up by 39%

▪ Pick one heuristic and think of one new way that you can

leverage that heuristic to better convey your ideas, service

or company to existing clients or potential clients.

▪ Heuristics we discussed:

✓ Single-Option Aversion

✓ Social Proof

✓ Reactance

H E U R I S T I C S E X E R C I S E

Connect & Dive Deeper

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