Is Reinforcement, And Not Persuasion, The Key To Selling More?

Ninety percent of selling is conviction, and 10 percent is persuasion.
- Shiv Kerha

Think about your belief systems.  It can be religion, politics, family, work, or whatever informs your view on important events affecting your life.

Now think about someone coming into your personal space and trying to convince you that what you think or feel is completely WRONG and you need to change.  This year’s political climate is a perfect example.  Whether you are strongly grounded on the left, right, or down the middle, your social media timelines are FULL of those trying to convince you to change your way of thinking.  So what’s your first inclination?  If you’re anything like me, it’s to become defensive and dig in further.  Have you ever had a political or religious debate where you walked away saying, “You’re totally right. I was really wrong. I have changed my stance on this completely.”?  Probably not, I know I haven’t.

Merriam-Webster defines the term “persuade” as to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action.  It’s an EXTREMELY difficult thing to persuade. 

So what does this mean for marketing in the water and wastewater industry?  Let’s take a look at the traditional approach to advertising that many manufacturers still use today. Advertising by its nature is a tactic used to persuade.  And unless your ad can tap into an overwhelming (and very uncommon) desire to change, the skeptical recipient of the advertising message knows that you have a vested interest in changing their belief systems.  Compounding the problem, if you succeed, they will inherently feel bad about themselves for being wrong in their beliefs or practices in the first place. Who wants to buy from a brand that makes them feel that way?  Human nature suggests no one.

The good news is that the solution is quite simple if you’re prepared to change the way you have traditionally promoted your business?  Are you?

The answer lies not in persuasion but in reinforcement.  Being on the “same side of the table” as your customer immediately makes you less threatening and more trustworthy.  Don’t tell an engineer they’ve been using the wrong aeration system but reinforce their belief that the issues aeration corrects are truly problematic. Reinforce their belief in certain “must haves” as part of an aeration treatment system.  Reinforce their beliefs in what specifically your company can offer them. 

Content is the most accessible way to begin this approach and help you evolve into being a trusted partner versus someone trying to sell something.  If your content is about what I call “common ground understandings” then you have a chance to work with and not against your customer.