Episode 244 - How to Overcome Your Persuasion Vomit (Data Dump)

Persuasion Vomit (Data Dump)

Many times, when we are trying to be persuasive, we want to highlight all the perks and plusses. It's only natural. Wouldn't helping someone see the potential gains of your product or service be a good thing? Yes, but here is the issue: Your audience will buy for their own reasons and only their reasons. They don't care about why you like the product or service. They don't care how much you know about it—don’t bury them in detail. The more you spout off about features, the more your audience mentally checks out.

When you want to draw attention to the benefits of a product or service, the best thing to do is uncover the features or benefits your audience is looking for first. Why spend precious time and energy highlighting things they don't care about? Let them tell you what they're looking for, and then center your discussion around those few key points. It is critical to remember that most people already know what they want. In fact, your audience's mindset often is looking for reasons not to buy. It is a natural defense mechanism. They're thinking, "How do I make sure I'm not getting myself into something I'll regret? What could go wrong?"

How managers can spark motivation

There is another way spouting and spewing too much information can backfire: You might actually feature something they're not interested in or something they even see as a drawback. Why give them reasons not to buy? Again, let them tell you what they're looking for. After you've discussed what they care about, after they've made the decision to buy, then and only then should you fill in any remaining blanks with other benefits or features. Don't oversell by cluttering or distracting the few most important key points. Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether or not you ever vomit or data dump: · Do you interrupt your audience in your eagerness to highlight another point before they have finished? · Are you worried about making the sale or satisfying a new customer? · Do you ever lose their eye contact or get a glazed look? · Does your audience seem overwhelmed or confused? · Are you concentrating on what you need to say next instead of listening? · Do their nonverbal signals tell you they are getting ready to run? · Are you talking about yourself instead of discovering their needs?

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