The “Gossip Close”. Well, this is a personally coined term for Third Party Story as I wrote this post. Third Party Story or TPS is one of the tools of the trade which sites a commonality of a previous buyer to that of the latest prospect in order to encourage a purchase.
One could always personalize and articulate how TPS is delivered. However, generic contents considered as pillars of an effective Gossip Close are
(1) Time Element of the previous purchase (Urgency) (2) Real Names Of Buyers (develop a mental database of buyers) (3) Commonality that’s further articulated with emotions, logic and kinesthetics (common discomfort, same demography or occupation similar situation or objection) (4) Mental Pause and (5) Closing through Handshake.
So how really to let them buy through the story of the previous buyer? Here is an example spiel to let you appreciate the numbered points after.
“I used to have a guest seated there just yesterday. Paul and Amy De Leon of Angeles City . They have been like you, searching for a more frugal way of traveling with their family while at the same time in a luxurious room . As I showed them how this concept gives them the reasonability and quality of family vacationing, they asserted that this would be the better way of spending their next holidays and never waste their money in vacations ever. Do you think they made a sound choice? Would you be like them, when the offer is affordable, save and at the same time enjoy a not for everyone kind of getaway? (Pause for 5 seconds to let them absorb the thought) Then recognize their affirmation by shaking their hands, Welcome to the Club then?! (the close)”
1: IDENTIFICATION AND EMPATHY.
Truer than ever, prospects like it when you to talk about them. Their success, their family, anything that turns their hot button. On the case of TPS, you talk about a person whom your prospect could identify himself through a similarity.
Identification in Psychology, is a largely unconscious process, often a defense mechanism, by which an individual takes as his or her own the characteristics, postures, achievements, or other identifying traits of other persons or groups. This is exactly what TPS wants to trigger. To ignite a mental suggestion to the prospect that the people who availed the offer were humans who have similarity with them, like same essence of the problem existent to them or any identifying facet. This is then reinforced by the emotional aim of Empathy. In the case of the similarity of existent discomfort, Empathy lets them behave that having such problem isn’t comfortable and the advise you are about to pitch will relieve them from the discomfort. The identification of the prospect on the similar existent problem of the previous buyer is contagious to identifying of the prospect on the similar solution availed by the already buyer. This strengthens their interest on the journey of understanding that your offer is the solution to the felt need. Thus, subtly persuading them that they need your offer and tickles them to actively listen, cooperate and contemplate as you pitch. The Identification-Empathy tandem is the foremost of the psychological aim of the Gossip Close.
2: CONFIDENCE AND BELONGINGNESS.
As you turned the prospect high that there are also those who have experienced same or even worse challenge than them and had triumphantly deciphered a solution for it, This ignites the emotion of belongingness. That they are in the same group of vulnerable humans who could actively do something about their discomfort. This inspires them to be confident on asserting for a sound solution. This challenges them to mend their discomfort through your offer to feel that they are one of those educated choosers who solved their needs. That is actually belongingness in a continuum. From accepting same problem through identification, to the confidence on the journey of getting the problem solved and to the rewarding relief of deliberately ending their discomfort with an educated choice (your offer).
3: INVOLVEMENT.
It is showing what your offer could benefit to them according to a real person whom they have identify with. TPS serves as an effective situational demonstration of how exactly your offer is used to help achieve a real solution from a real person. This also strengthens your appeal being an expert on how your offer was proven to be a better solution as done by the previous purchaser. They feel that it is already them applying your product’s benefits and features to mend their problem because of the identification your TPS has caused to them. Involvement here has become more effective since it doesn’t sound like a too-good-to-be-true, canned-pitched benefit from a salesman who hungers a deal but rather a virtual image of them using the feature and feeling the benefits like the previous buyer you have mentioned whom they identified with.
4: CREDIBILITY AND COMPASSION.
TPS serves as a testimony of both trustworthiness to you and the company . Furthermore, proves your compassion using your product expertise, to help. This lets them perceive you as a competent teacher to their recently identified problem. They are giving to you not just the permission to help them the way you helped a previous “like them”, but as well as their confidence of exchanging their hard earned money to the benefits of your offer proven to be effective from a buyer who are “like them”. TPS gives you then authority.
5: OVERCOME OBJECTION.
Objection connotes “tell me more why I should get your offer”. In order to play cool and not too pushy in overcoming objections, TPS is your subtle tool. Prospects never want to be stabbed to the idea that they are wrong in their objections about your offer. Thus, letting them know that there are previous guests who thought same way they do, relates that you understand their point and their concern is normal and was previously resolved. This convince them that their apprehension about the product was manageable as evidenced by the experience of a previous “like them” who availed the offer and is in fact enjoying purchase.
6: ENTERTAINMENT.
Human ears are good for only 20minutes. When you aren’t able to dramatize your pitch, then it basically turns to a preach. In order to make your pitch interesting and compelling, present it novel-like with TPS. Amusing them with the same exact plot where they are, with engaging characters similar to them in an exciting journey to a happily-solve-their-problem ever after. You could close gracefully through the Gossip Close.
Closers need to be good writers when using TPS. Gossip, on this context connotes as a sales tool. A decent, pro-to-your-offer kind of gossip. Then, Closers have to be good monolog speakers too. You have to deliver the TPS script splendidly. Just like in theaters, audience choose which story they could empathize and identify. Trophies and sounding applause are given to the actor who portrayed a character the most convincingly. The box office bursts to which story best entertained.
Selling the story (not just telling) of previous buyers is an affecting art to fortify weight on you pitch. It is an imperative whenever you want an articulate process of closing.
JOHNDAPPERCLOSER 