Customer Testimonials Are the Ultimate Low-Pressure Sales Tool

● I feel resistant to selling.
● I'm just not good at sales.

I imagine there are quite a few sales staff who feel this way.

The harder you try to sell, the more desperate you look, which makes customers pull away ⇨ you don't make the sale ⇨ your anxiety about sales grows even more.

I have seen many sales staff fall into this vicious cycle.

On the other hand, there are those who somehow manage to sell without ever seeming like they are trying to push a product.

Here are some tips on how to communicate that these successful, low-pressure sales staff use unconsciously.

I will share some simple tips that anyone can use.

If you struggle with sales,

I hope this helps you overcome your anxiety about selling and recommending products, and makes you feel a little more at ease.

⚫︎ How to communicate without sounding pushy

To avoid sounding pushy,

using testimonials from other customers is the most effective method.

This is sometimes called the third-party approach.

What is the third-party approach?

会話に第三者を登場させるトークテクニックのこと。 
相手を説得する際に第三者の事例や意見・気持ちを紹介して、相手からの信頼を高める手法です。

For example,

“This product is very popular, and other customers have told us that...”

“I hear from many people that they struggle with X; how about you?”

By sharing the stories or experiences of a third party, you can help the customer relate to the product as if it were their own situation.

Even in apparel sales, by sharing the voices of third parties—other customers—you can avoid the feeling of a hard sell and boost the customer's desire to buy, more effectively than by recommending it directly.

⚫︎ Two benefits of sharing other customers' voices

・It sounds more authentic
・“Everyone else is doing it” provides peace of mind

・It sounds more authentic

When a seller directly recommends something by saying, “This is great!”, it inevitably sounds a bit insincere. By framing it as the opinion of another customer, you increase your credibility.

When you buy something online, where do you look on the site?
You look at the product description, of course, but don't you also rely on reviews?

Reviews are the voices of other customers.

Most customers feel that the voices of people who have actually used the product are honest and reliable information, unlike the seller's pitch.

・"Everyone else is doing it" provides peace of mind

People have a herd mentality where they feel that what everyone else is doing must be the right thing to do.

For example,
when deciding on a travel plan,
if a staff member says, "Many people choose Plan B," you might end up choosing Plan B just because everyone else is.

Have you ever had an experience like this?

It is the same thing...

By sharing customer feedback such as "what everyone is buying" or "what everyone says is good," you can increase the desire to "want it!" without any hard selling.

⚫︎ Key points for sharing other customers' feedback

As mentioned above, sharing other customers' feedback can increase a customer's desire to buy without feeling like a sales pitch.

However, if you use phrases like "Everyone says..." too often,
it can actually sound fake, making people wonder, "Who is 'everyone'?!"

Here are two points to keep in mind when sharing feedback from other customers.

・Be specific about "who" said it

Be specific about what kind of customer said it.
For example, "A customer who is a mom with small children just like you said..."

Having common ground with the customer increases persuasiveness.

・Share other customers' feedback using their exact words " "

Sharing what other customers said using their exact quotes in " " creates a sense of realism and immediacy.

For example,
✖︎ "Everyone says this coat is light."

◎ "The other day, a mom with small children tried on this coat and was surprised, saying, 'Wow!! It's so light! It feels like I'm not wearing anything. I can feel safe holding my child while wearing this.'

As you can see, when sharing feedback from other customers, it is more effective to convey the exact words they used.

⚫︎ Today's Summary

Q. How can you increase a customer's desire to buy without hard selling??

【Share feedback from other customers】

Points for sharing
・Be specific about who said it
・Share using their exact words " "

As sales staff, we serve many customers every day.
By sharing the conversations and reactions we receive from customers in our daily interactions with other customers, what we want to convey becomes much easier for them to understand.

Please try incorporating this into your customer service.

Thank you for reading until the end.
If you found this relatable or helpful, I look forward to your likes and follows.
If you have any questions, I would be happy if you could let me know in the comments🎵