In 1936, Dale Carnegie published one of the best-selling books of all time called, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” He wrote, “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bustling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.” This is as true today as it was in 1936. So, without surprise, buyers often base their buying decisions on beliefs about emotional circumstances or preconceived conditions rather than logic or sound information.
Before moving on to specific closes, let me make an important point: I believe in a humanistic approach to selling. However, if I can facilitate the customer’s path of purchasing, and if this is a product she needs and will appreciate, and there are no detrimental conditions to anyone, then I have no qualms in the occasional use of psychological creations or inspired settings to create whatever logical or emotional justification is necessary to influence the customer’s outlook and buying inclination. Sometimes closing is about meeting the customer’s prophecies, beliefs and expectations. This does not mean that it is okay to misrepresent the product, its benefits or compromise your integrity.