At the Barnes Buchanan conference, the first speaker Gretchen Gordon, emphasized that security sales people should sell using negative emotions - pain, worry, fear, etc.
Specifically, she recommends against using positive emotions - like gain or happiness.
So, what do you think? Vote:
Certainly not a new idea. Negative emotions and scare tactics have been used by sellers of security products since at least the early 1960's. There used to be salesmen who would go door-to-door showing graphic pictures of the aftermaths of burglary and fire and would caution homeowners of the perils that awaited them if they didn't buy a security system now. Tactics like these gave security salespeople a bad name and started the push to provide tighter regulation of this industry.
I think that a better approach is to sell based on positive emotions such as peace of mind, potential cost savings, and simply doing the right thing. Some buyers of modern security systems are also fascinated by the technology and buy because they think the systems will be cool to play with (although they are often reluctant to admit this..)
Purchases based on fear tend to be "grudge purchases" where buyers only spend the minimum amount of money possible. Purchases based on other motives tend to be bigger spends with plenty of opportunity for upselling if the buyer can be convinced of the benefits.
Using negative emotions should be over 6000 years.
If you consider door lock as a security product :)
Using negative emotions should be over 6000 years.
If you consider door lock as a security product :)
Wilma certainly did.
...security sales people should sell using negative emotions - pain, worry, fear, etc.
Specifically, she recommends against using positive emotions - like gain or happiness.
Isn't the standard move to sell on the peace of mind initially, and then, if not gaining traction, play on fears? So pitch gain, then pain.
What's the reason she gives for not feeling out the customer's temperament with a few positive remarks first?
What's the reason she gives for not feeling out the customer's temperament with a few positive remarks first?
She noted:
Pain and fear tend to be more compelling than gain or pleasure. Most salespeople sell based on gain but buyers tend to be more apt to take action based on pain or fear.
It isn't a matter of playing on fears, it's a matter of surfacing inherent risks and potential issues a customer may encounter that they may not have already taken into consideration.
It's really all in the delivery and approach, however. If you're being a manipulative douche bag, that's probably going to come off as pretty obvious to a customer, and you screwed yourself.
Every customer, every set of circumstances, require a different angle. When it comes to security products, you don't want to sell too little, but it's easy to sell too much. When you're the guy who raises relevant issues your competitor either didn't want to bother himself with asking, or didn't even think of, you put yourself in the forefront of consideration, and sales are closed.
This is terrible advice. Sure you might sell a few systems using this method but you shouldn't be able to sleep at night. I've sold hundreds of systems and always use positive emotions. I ask people what concerns they have and talk about how different features might help them feel more secure. After the job is done I always go back and ask if the concerns/fears they had are gone. If not, we talk about what we might be able to do for them. I would never scare someone into buying from us. I think it's unethical and won't motivate the customer to provide me with referrals and stay long term.
I think it's important to demonstrate security vulnerabilities while not scaring them into buying something. I show how our solution will help them feel more secure.
I've sold hundreds of systems and always use positive emotions. I ask people what concerns they have and talk about how different features might help them feel more secure.
What if the prospect currently has what you would consider a marginally useful system currently but doesn't seem to think so?
In other words, they have a false sense of security. Aside from getting the sale, don't you feel it's incumbent on you to point out the potential consequences of the current system, assuming you don't blow them out of proportion?
Absolutely. That's why I finished with this.
"I think it's important to demonstrate security vulnerabilities while not scaring them into buying something."
A good sales person can demonstrate security vulnerabilities and point out weakenesses and flaws in a competitors system (or existing system) without focusing on negitive emotions.
I'm not strictly a seller, but I need to elicit response from customers during training, and it's always good to try to sell more.
I follow a similar technique.
Get the customer to raise or talk about the pain/problem, talk through the pain/problem, then you provide the gain/solution. That way you've covered both sides of the coin, and overall you are left feeling positive.
Sell based off risk. Risk = Threat x Vulnerability x Consequence.
Beyond that sell based off the design basis threat if one exists.
Use facts and figures to provide hard data to make a decision around.
Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.
