MAKING SENSE OF DECISION MAKING: PART II

THE LOOKS RIGHT BUYER

As we mentioned in our introductory overview of the Decision People Pattern™, there are four reasons why people make the decisions that they do. It is because something either:

1. Looks right

2. Sounds right

3. Feels right or

4. Makes Sense

When we discuss someone having one of the above four elements of the “Decision People Pattern™, what this means is that a person is using a particular formula which we call a mental “strategy” to make a given decision.

Today we are going to discuss the first component of the Decision People Pattern™, the looks right pattern. First, what does it mean to have a “looks right” decision making pattern? A looks right person literally makes decisions based on a visual representation in his or her mind that literally looks right to him or to her. In reality, what the person is doing is creating an ideal image and a series of each of the alternatives. What actually happens is that the looks right person is comparing each of the alternatives, outside of his or her conscious awareness, to the ideal in his or her mind. The right match between the ideal and one of the alternatives triggers the decision. If there is no match, the looks right person generates more alternatives and if there is still no match, then the person ends up looking for more data to make a decision or else settles for less.

We have greatly simplified the process here, for we normally teach these patterns in the context of an entire workshop. So this is simply a brief overview of the looks right buyer.

How would you tailor your approach to the looks right buyer? There are several things that you can do. First it will be to your advantage to present a proper physical appearance for the presentation, whether it be in person or on a video. Tidiness, good hygiene and neatness are all factors that appeal to a looks right buyer or customer. Think about how many times you’ve heard about someone not buying a product because the buyer did not like the way the seller looked. The basic overall impression that you give from the start is critical. Even if visual factors don’t mean anything to you, they are vital to making a sale with a looks right person.

In terms of the actual sale, make sure that you have visual material on hand. If it is an in-person presentation, have slides, photos and sufficient graphic material to support your sale. By not having the visual support, you are literally not meeting the looks right buyer in his world. Also, colors impact looks right people much more than black and white. Looks right people need to see the product you are selling or to see the result of your service. If it is a service you are providing, then you want to be able to show the potential customer the work done and the result. In today’s world, video clips afford a convenient and economical way to provide these visual stimuli to the looks right person.

If you are selling a product or service that lends itself to an actual demonstration, then by all means, do so. Show them how to use it and in your explanation, be certain to use visual language. Another effective strategy is to have other people in your video or in a one on one presentation to demonstrate how to use your product. Telling stories about the effectiveness of your product (always be truthful) is a huge part of selling to looks right buyers. This is because telling stories makes them create imagery in their minds.

So the bottom line is that to increase your sales, you have to be able to tailor your communication to the mindset of the looks right buyer by applying what you have learned about the looks right pattern of the Decision People Pattern™. You will be amazed at just how much you have grown in your own awareness of self and others.

Next time we will discuss the second component of the Decision People Pattern™.