Ch. 4 The Psychology of Selling:
Why People Buy
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Chapter
4
Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Exhibit 4-1: Why People Buy–
The Black Box Approach
 Internalization process is referred to as a
black box
 we can’t see into the buyer’s mind
 Stimulus-response model
Sales Presentation
Buyer’s Hidden
Mental Process
Sale/No Sale
Stimulus
Black box
Response
Exhibit 4-1: Stimulus-response model of buyer behavior
4-2
What’s Known About Mental Process
 People buy for practical and emotional
reasons
 Some thoughts can be determined
4-3
Psychological Influences on Buying
 Motivation to buy must be there
 Needs - lack of something desirable
 Wants - needs learned by the person
 Economic needs: The best value for the
money
 Price, quality, convenience, and service
4-4
Psychological Influences on Buying, cont…
 Awareness of needs: Some buyers are
unsure
 conscious need
 preconscious
 unconscious
4-5
A FABulous Approach to Buyer
Need Satisfaction
 Stressing benefits is a very powerful selling

technique
FAB selling technique helps emphasize
benefit
 Feature
 Advantage
 Benefit
4-6
The Product’s Features: So What?
 Feature – a physical characteristic
 Many salespeople emphasize features
 Examples:
 size
 color


4-7
The Product’s Advantages: Prove It!
 Advantage - a performance characteristic
 The chances of making a sale are increased
by describing the product’s advantages
 How a product can be used
 How a product will help the buyer
 Examples:
 rapid
 copy on both sides

4-8
The Product’s Benefits: What’s in it for Me?
 Benefit –
 People are interested in what the product will
do for them
 Emphasizing benefits increases sales
4-9
People Buy Benefit(s)
 Notice national television commercials
 stress benefits
4-10
People Buy Benefit(s)
 High performing salespeople
 They know this increases their chances
4-11
What’s In It For Me?
 Stressing benefits in the sales presentation
answers the prospect’s question
4-12
Can Not Leave Out Features and Advantages
 In the sales presentation it is also important
to mention features and advantages
 Here is an example of how to stress a benefit
while including a feature and an advantage:
4-13
Example: Sporting Goods Salesperson to
Customer:
 “With this ball, you’ll get an extra 10 to 20
yards on your drives (advantage) helping to
reduce your score (benefit) because of its
new solid core (feature).”
4-14
FABs Can Be Awkward at First
 New salespeople are frequently not
accustomed to using feature, advantage, and
benefit phrases
 It may seem awkward at first
4-15
Use the FAB Sequence
 The standardized FAB Sequence can be
used as follows:
 The…(feature)…means you…(advantage)…with
the real benefit to you being…(benefit)….
4-16
How to Determine Important Buying Needs–
A Key to Success
 L-O-C-A-T-E
L
O
C
A
T
E
4-17
The Trial Close–a Great Way to Uncover
Needs and Sell
 The trial close asks for an opinion, not a
decision to buy
 It gives feedback.
 The trial close is one of the best
communication techniques in the sales
presentation
4-18
The Trial Close Helps You to Determine:
 Whether the prospect likes the product’s FAB
 Whether you successfully answered
objection
 Whether any objections remain
 Whether the prospect is ready for you to
close
4-19
In These Examples of Trial Closes, Notice
They Do NOT Ask Someone to Buy Directly




“How does that sound to you?”
“Is this important to you?”
“Can you see how this can benefit you?”
“I notice your smile. What do you think
about…?”
4-20
Trial Closes
 For example:
 You just answered a question.
Trial close: Does that
You just finished talking about a proposal.
Trial close: Am I
4-21
To Help You Properly Use
 The FAB selling technique and the trial
close, incorporate the SELL Sequence into
your presentation
4-22
SELL Sequence
 SELL Sequence
 S - Show Feature
 E - Explain advantage
 L - Lead into benefit
 L -Let customer talk-
-Use throughout presentation
4-23
Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style
 Personality typing
 Real self
I am
 Self image
I think I am
 Ideal image
I would like to be
 Looking glass self: how people think I am
4-24
Watch for Clues to Someone’s Personality
Type
 How would you describe this person?
 What is their time orientation – past, present,
future?
 What does their desk look like?
 What does their room look like?
 How do they dress?
4-25
Types of personality
 The Thinker: logic, systematic inquiry
 The Intuitor : knowledgeable/ futurist
 The Feeler: people oriented/sensitive
 The Senser: Action/ to the point!
4-26
Determining Style Can Be Difficult
 What is the person’s primary style?
 What is the person’s secondary style?
 Does the person’s style comprise all four
types?
4-27
First Know Your Style
 This helps you to adapt to the style of your
client
 Which leads to more sales
 Knowing your style helps you identify a
person’s style, especially if your styles are
the same (It takes one to know one)
4-28
Exhibit 4-10: The Three Classes of Buying
Situations
4-29
View Buyers as Decision Makers
 Five basic steps in the buying decision
1. Need arousal
2. collection of info.
3. info. evaluation
4. purchase decision
5. Postpurchase
 Satisfaction
 Dissonance (buyer’s remorse)
4-30
Exhibit 4-12: Personal, Psychological, and Social Forces
that Influence Consumers’ Buying Behavior
4-31
Remember—satisfied customers are
easier to sell to!
4-32