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Welcome to Today’s Webinar! The Structure of Success How to Create a Persuasive Sales Message

with Dr. Tom Sant

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Welcome!

Dr. Tom Sant

©2012 Tom Sant. All right reserved

Today’s Agenda

What is persuasion?

Avoiding the exits

Understanding the structure of persuasion

Maintaining rapport and credibility

Living by the “first time right” rule

The Big Question

What is Persuasion?

The V.P. of Engineering’s View

Pretty pictures? Fancy words?

Persuasion is hard.

Sales people, marketing

professionals and proposal

writers often look for a

quick way out.

Quick Exit # 1

Cutting and pasting can result in embarrassing errors!

Cloning

previous proposals..

“Data Dumps” or “More is Better!”

Nobody buys based on the “thud factor.”

Quick Exit # 2

Talking about what we know and love best.

Focus on your prospect, not on yourself!

Quick Exit # 3

The Seven Deadly Sins…

1. No focus on the client’s needs and payoffs

2. No persuasive structure

3. No clear differentiation

4. Failure to offer a compelling value proposition

5. Key points are buried--no highlights, no impact

6. Difficult to understand--full of jargon, too technical

7. Credibility killers--misspellings, grammar errors,

inconsistent formats, wrong client name, etc.

Information Evaluation Persuasion

Expert

Highly

informed

Somewhat

informed

Lay

Comfort Zone

Zoning Out…

Why does this happen?

Peer-to-Peer * Outcome Oriented * Bottom-Line Focused

Executives Expect a Different Kind of Message

Information Evaluation Persuasion

Expert

Highly

informed

Somewhat

informed

Lay

Persuasion Zone

Comfort Zone

Persuasion

is a form of

communication.

So maybe a little

communication theory

is a good place to start.

Subject

Sender Receiver

Aristotle’s Theory

Subject

Form

Sender Receiver

Contact

Code

Jakobson’s Additions

Subject

Form

Sender Receiver

Contact

Code

Informing

Evaluating

Persuading

So…

One answer to the question,

What is persuasion?,

is this:

A form of communication for which the

controlling element is the

audience.

Persuasion

is

client-centered

communication.

“If you wish to persuade me,

you must think my thoughts,

feel my feelings, and speak

my words.”

--Cicero

Hence, the Cicero Principle

Cicero’s Three Points

Audience Level

of Expertise

(Speak my words)

Audience

Personality Type

(Think my thoughts)

Audience Role

(Feel my feelings)

Expert

Highly informed

Acquainted

Uninformed

Analytical

Pragmatic

Consensus-seeker Visionary

Check signer

User

Gatekeeper

But there’s another element:

Purpose.

Why do we write

when we write to inform, to evaluate,

and to persuade?

Consciousness is intentional.

We focus on finding specific content, depending

on our purpose:

• Getting the facts we need

• Obtaining an expert opinion

• Making a decision

It’s a matter of recognizing

the neurolinguistic structure

of the brain.

Suited to the Purpose

Purpose:

Why?

Structure

• Informing

• Evaluating

• Persuading

• Facts

• Opinion

• Decision

Providing Facts; Offering an Opinion

1. Start with most important (most general) fact

2. Second most important fact next, etc.

3. Continue to drill down

4. Simply quit at the end

5. Emphasis on accuracy, conciseness

1. Top bun: the introduction

• What or who are you evaluating?

• What are your criteria?

2. Meat in the middle—facts, observations

3. Bottom bun: the conclusion

• Your opinion

What about

Persuading and Decision Making?

Opposite sides of the same coin.

Decision Makers Have Three Questions

1. Are we getting what

we need?

2. Is it worth doing?

3. Can they really do it?

The Principle of First Impressions

The Primacy Principle

Minimize Cognitive Dissonance

Building Trust and Establishing Relevance

You have

7 minutes in a document.

4 minutes to establish contact face to face.

1 minute for Web-based presentations

and phone calls.

Where Does Your Presentation Focus First?

Company history?

Capabilities?

Financial strength?

Global coverage?

And does the customer care about any of that?

What Are the First Words of Your Proposal?

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for

allow us to submit a response to…”?

“ABC Company is pleased to respond to your Request

for Proposal…”?

“Recognized as a world leader in technology and

service, ABC Company works with many of the world’s

most successful companies….”

Business

Resource

Problem Solver

Vendor

Focus on product and pricing info only,

and you’re seen strictly as a vendor

0000

Business

Resource

Problem Solver

Vendor

Link features and benefits to customer

needs and you become a problem solver

0000

Business

Resource

Problem Solver

Vendor

Business

Partner

Focus on their business issues

and you’re more of a partner

0000

Business

Resource

Strategic

Resource

Problem Solver

Vendor

Business

Partner

Deliver a compelling value proposition

and you’re a strategic resource

Persuading

The Persuasive Paradigm

The Structure of Persuasion: The NOSE Pattern

• Needs: The customer’s key business needs, problems, issues,

pains, or opportunities: the drivers behind the deal.

• Outcomes: The positive impact that will come from meeting

those needs: the motivation to move forward.

• Solution: A recommendation for a product or service that will

solve the problem and deliver the outcomes

• Evidence: Proof you can do the job on time and on budget: your

differentiators.

N

O

S

E

Persuasion is

client-centered

communication

structured to affect

the way the audience thinks,

how they feel,

or what they do.

Seven Client-Centered Questions

1. Client’s problem, issues?

2. Why is it a problem?

3. Desired outcomes?

Four Areas of Value

Personal goals

STRATEGIC

Business / Financial • Revenue goals • Profit improvement • Downsizing • Mergers / acquisitions • Market share • Reduced risk • Better project outcomes

TACTICAL

Technical/Infrastructure Introducing Best Practices Adding flexibility Improving QC Achieving compliance w/

regulatory standards

SOCIAL / POLITICAL

Internal - Improve Morale - Reduce Absenteeism - Decrease Turnover

External -Gain Customer Loyalty -Enhance Recognition

Seven Client-Centered Questions

1. Client’s problem, issues?

2. Why is it a problem?

3. Desired outcomes?

4. Most important?

5. Potential solutions?

6. Probable results?

7. Why are we the right

choice?

Bottom line:

Specificity

leads to

believability.

In Summary

1. Avoid generic content.

2. High primacy, low dissonance.

3. Follow your NOSE.

4. Be specific.

5. Qvidian Proposal Automation

RFP Responses

Proactive Proposals

Presentations

Qvidian Proposal Automation

View a demo at http://www.qvidian.com

Additional Resources

To learn more and/or schedule a customized demo of

Qvidian’s Proposal Automation, contact us:

USA: 800-272-0047

UK: +44 (0)870-734-7778

Email: [email protected]

Download your complimentary chapter from

Dr. Sant’s best-selling book (now in its 3rd

edition!), Persuasive Business Proposals at:

Book winners will be notified by email within 72 hours of today’s event.

www.Qvidian.com/SantChapter

www.Qvidian.com

USA: 800-272-0047

UK: +44 (0)870-734-7778

Email: [email protected]

Thank You!