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“Use the Theory of Contrast to Get More Than You Expect”
By Art Sobczak Negotiators use a
technique called the Theory of Contrast that's It’s called contrast since the price, amount, or
ultimate solution arrived at appears small contrasted to what was originally
asked for. A few examples I’ve encountered just recently: • my 11-year old son needed athletic shoes (we
used to call them gym shoes). He dragged me over to the life sized cutout of
Shaquille O’Neal, displaying the new cushion soled, air injected, water cooled
(I think) shoes, well into the $100+ range.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I
shrieked. “No way!” He sulked over to another display and meekly handed me a
“basic” Air Jordan. Surveying the price to be a mere $69, compared to the
shoes that ought to come with an instruction manual, I felt like I hit the
lottery. It wasn’t until later I realized he deftly executed the theory of
contrast. • I
listed for sale a piece of commercial real estate at $20,000 over what I hoped
to get. An offer came in $15,000 below my asking price. Done deal. They felt
good, as did I. When you ask for more than you expect it establishes
a psychological standard in the mind of the other person. If such a standard
already existed, say, a price the other person was thinking of paying, the much
higher asking price immediately raises that level. For example, just the other
day I went shopping for a nice, quality, leather desk chair. I didn’t know the
going prices. My expectation was, oh, maybe $200-$300. Wrong! My eyes were
opened, and suddenly my spending ceiling had risen over the $1000 mark. Investment professionals do this all the time.
They’ll ask a prospect if they have $50,000 to invest if the opportunity was
right. This not only scares away the people who have no intention of investing,
it often raises the starting amount that an interested investor might start
with, maybe from $5,000 up to $10,000. Lets Them Feel Good The Theory of Contrast also allows the other person
to feel good about the transaction. It gives them a victory. All negotiating
should be win-win, and this helps accomplish that objective. If, for example,
you’re authorized to drop prices to win business, you should always start with
the full price, which is more than you expect to get. In the sales process you
could use the lower price as a
concession in exchange for getting a larger order. Here are a few action tips
for using the Theory of Contrast, • don’t make a larger request if it’s not in the buyer’s best
interest. In other words, don’t go for large sales just to pad your own
wallet. It’ll come back to bite you later. Your customers resent having
money tied up in things they can’t use. That’s not good for repeat business. • get
rid of your own self-imposed limits. Michael Kalmonson, at the time the
Sales Manager of Windsor Vineyards, showed
me the cubicles of two people who, he explained, were of equal experience,
education, and natural ability. But one outsold the other by about two-to-one.
The difference? The higher seller asked for case
orders of wine, while the other only suggested a few bottles at a time. •
be reasonable. Get
crazy with your requests, and no one will even consider countering. Think small, and you’ll get small sales. Think,
and ask big, and your results will be proportional. (Art Sobczak gives real-world,
how-to conversational ideas and techniques helping business-to-business
salespeople use the phone more effectively to prospect, sell, service, and
manage accounts without "rejection." Author of numerous books, taped
training programs and publisher of the TELEPHONE SELLING REPORT sales tips
newsletter, he's also a speaker and trainer, providing high-content, one-hour to
multiple-day customized speeches and seminars. Visit Art's Web site by
clicking
here and receive his free, weekly sales tips newsletter the Tele-Sales Hot
Tips of the Week. |