Influence: How to Steal the March on Your Competitors
Influence: How to Steal the March on Your Competitors
In his book, Blink!, Malcolm Gladwell refers to something that you do every day. It’s called “thin slicing”, and it’s that instantaneous decision you make about something else based on the flimsiest of evidence. You catch a glimpse, and you draw a conclusion. You get a whiff, and that reminds you of an entire meal. But in every case, you make a judgement based on a small part of the whole. And that’s because you’ve learned what to expect.
Daniel Kahneman* refers to this as fast thinking
Fast thinking is deciding to do something automatically, without feeling the need to mull over it. It’s important that you recognize not only that decisions are made like this, but also to use it to win large contracts.
- How can you persuade large companies to buy your products or services without them having to think much about it?
- How can you influence them to choose you over someone else?
The answer is that it’s all in how you present your proposal
There are several steps that are necessary to do this. Get these right, and you’re practically assured of success. Get them wrong, and you might as well take the rest of the day off. The first thing you need to do is to make the most of the small talk. This is your chance to “break the ice”, and pleasantries can do just that.
Your primary goal is to get them to like you
Robert Cialdini** refers to this as consistency. When people like you, then it’s entirely consistent for them to trust you, and to consider as a friend.
The next step is credibility
This is where the big boys often have the advantage. The sheer weight of their reputation, (not to mention their burly consultants), projects authority on a grand scale. Typically, this is where the client list is wheeled out. In most cases, just by having worked with them, you look more like a viable option. This, too, increases trust. The same consistency that led them to conclude that you were their friend also reinforces the high opinion that they already have of you.
Then comes contrast
Here you compare the benefits of what you can do to your competitors. One way is to show how the so-called strengths of the big boys are really weaknesses. Then you can position yourself as an expert whose strengths more closely match the needs of your prospect. And that gives them an excellent reason why (the next step) they should buy from you. Another good reason is that you can get started straightaway. The big firms seldom have this flexibility because they tend to schedule their work so far in advance. You’re not like that. You can start today.
The qualifier is that they must decide quickly, otherwise you will be too busy later.
Quite often, a little urgency is all it takes to get prospects to make a decision, provided that you’ve effectively implemented the other steps. Then you can ask for the order. If your prospects like you, recognise your authority, see the relevance of your client list, accept that you are better positioned to solve their problem than your competitors, and feel the need to use you as soon as possible, then you’ll win the business.
But, if you get any of these steps wrong, then you’ll disrupt their thin slicing and force them into slow thinking.
They’ll have to concentrate on what you’ve said, and then discuss their options with other decision makers. The longer this process goes on, the less likely it will be that you’ll win the business. Instead of stealing the march, you’ll be lucky to keep up.
Further reading
- * Kahneman, Daniel. Of 2 Minds: How Fast and Slow Thinking Shape Perception and Choice.
- ** Cialdini, Robert. Influence: The Power of Persuasion
- Extra suggestion: Granger, Russell. The 7 Triggers to Yes!
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