| No, this is not a critical article on pricing techniques | | | | emotional challenge of making sales was the driving |
| and or policies in business marketing success. Instead, | | | | force of dad's life. He had a record of 7 consecutive |
| there is a powerful emotional mystique that is | | | | years of selling at least one insurance policy each |
| associated with buying that also makes the seller's | | | | week. I loved to see him in action selling anything. He |
| job, at the least, a very exciting experience. Business | | | | understood how to create a perceived need to buy, |
| marketers, sellers and closers need to understand | | | | and the process was so very entertaining, that he |
| how to deal with the emotional processes of price to | | | | was always able to get the best price. |
| be successful in the sales arena. | | | | Customers always seemed to be so satisfied that |
| Emotion has a tremendous role in the entire buying | | | | price was rarely an issue. The emotions of buying |
| selling process. Some estimate that emotion is nearly | | | | frequently make price not come into the picture until |
| 90% of the buying process. I am blessed to have | | | | the buyer has already made a decision to purchase. |
| lived with an extraordinary salesman, my father. As a | | | | Sellers focus too much of their time and energy on |
| young man he started his sales career pedaling | | | | price and fail to see the real emotional reasons |
| produce after returning home from the South Pacific | | | | customers will buy. It is so important to understand |
| at the close of WWII. In the early 50's he became a | | | | and feel the emotional connection potential |
| Fuller Brush salesman with a creative flair for selling | | | | customers will attach to the seller, the company |
| ordinary household products like brooms. Dad would | | | | products/services, and the way they will relate or |
| dress a broom up to look like a woman. He would | | | | interact with the business. The entire office or |
| approach a door, spray some of his air-freshener | | | | company staff need to to address the emotions that |
| product on the door, knock and quickly disappear, | | | | attract and keep good customers. The decision to |
| leaving the broom standing there. An amazing | | | | buy something almost always starts with an |
| process would take place in the next few minutes, | | | | emotional need. That emotional need influences the |
| as he would sell the broom (frequently two or more | | | | customer to consider buying something to fill it. The |
| of them), the air-freshener and a myriad of brushes | | | | search and evaluation of all the possible choices of |
| and household/kitchen aids that he carried in his Fuller | | | | products or services is also emotional and many |
| Brush bag. | | | | other emotional factors may enter the process. Th |
| He was the top sales person for Fuller Brush in the | | | | price issue comes in near the end of this process and |
| entire state of West Virginia. In the later 50's Dad | | | | in essence it usually helps to justify the emotional |
| became an insurance salesman and was again a top | | | | decision that the buyer has already made. The seller |
| producer, having 17 consecutive years of being a | | | | sees the price request as a big buying signal (will the |
| million dollar seller. That was not just big, it was | | | | cost allow me to buy what, I perceive I want, and is |
| incredible production as very few men were million | | | | it fair for what I decided to buy). For the seller this is |
| dollar producers in a small populated, economically | | | | wonderful. He can take charge at the price point and |
| deprived state. He was the first man selected to the | | | | have a blast making the sell. Fun! Fun! Fun! I get all |
| Insurance Hall of Fame of his Pennsylvania based Life | | | | emotional just thinking about it! |
| Insurance Company. My dad could sell anything! The | | | | |