the 4 sales animals: adapt and adopt and you will sell more!

Animal Instinct By Sean D. Cohen … ext 6220/Cell 404-3387 Remember back in elementary school when they told us human beings are animals and everyone laughed? Who says we don’t still act like animals sometimes? Maybe we should all just learn to “get along”. Many animals that have never met each other will judge other animals as a friend or a threat in the first few seconds. They can sense right away the chemistry of the other animal’s emotions, like fear, anxiety, aggressiveness, and kindness. Some can smell it, some can see it in body language, and some just go off of instinct. Have you ever been shopping for furniture, or maybe a car, and been totally aggravated or harassed by a salesperson, to the point that you just leave the dealership, even though you were thinking about buying something? Most of us have. Much of the time, that’s how customers are coming to you; apprehensive and defensive from their last experience. So how can we, as non-attacking salespeople, overcome this initial negative pre-disposition? How do we link up with someone’s chemistry that we don’t even know and convince them that we’re the good guys? Believe it or not, you’ve got about 7 seconds before you’re labeled as good or bad. Then, after that, if you’re labeled good, you have to know how to adapt and adopt to the other “animal's” chemistry if you’re going to “get along”, and eventually close a deal. The first 7 seconds: It’s vital to be yourself and be natural from the get-go. Remind yourself that you’re a good person and that these clients will like you and the whole transaction because you are honest and pleasurable, unlike the last sales person they ran away from. The four animals: Most people fit into one or two of four types of “animal” personalities. These are just metaphors for the way people function. There are two birds and two bears: 1. The Owl: this is a very analytical person. They want to know all the numbers involved and have probably already done some research. They will notice the details, and they’re always watching and listening to what’s going on, even when you think they are not. 2. The Parrot: this person loves to talk, even if it’s not about what they are buying. They usually talk fast, and they like talking to people who can cover a lot of ground quickly, so they can keep talking. They can consume your time. 3. The Grizzly Bear: this person, usually a man, rarely talks, but when he does, it’s pretty important. He only wants to hear the bare basics; price, payment, down payment. He’s hard to please and hard to talk to, but will warm up to someone who is direct and to the point, so don’t “beat around the bush.” 4. The Koala Bear: this person is very friendly and likes TLC (tender love and care). They want someone to be nice and friendly to them. They want you to hold their hand through the process and steer them in the right direction. Review of the two strategies: 1. Be yourself, be natural right from the beginning. Don’t use typical “sales lines”. 2. Cater to the other person’s traits, and they will like you.