6 Tricks to Sell Absolutely Anything

A product…service…idea…and even yourself as a job candidate

More often than you may realize, you spend a big chunk of your day selling. Beyond selling products and services to customers, selling may include pitching your ideas to your bosses and coworkers…convincing your spouse, children and/or other relatives and friends that your advice is sound…persuading a prospective employer to hire you…even coaxing a credit card issuer or phone company—or a grocery store cashier—to correct a mistake. One poll found that 40% of a typical employee’s work hours are spent in various forms of “nonsales selling,” and the percentage outside of work may not be a lot lower.

And much of what we think we know about all these forms of “selling” is wrong, according to recent research.

In an interview with Bottom Line/Personal, best-selling author Daniel H. Pink described six surprising ways to increase your odds of succeeding no matter what form of “selling” you engage in…

1. Confess to a (small) negative. Negatives can be positives. A study published in Journal of Consumer Research found that buyers were more likely to purchase a product when they were told about a minor problem with it.

   Why? The human mind likes to draw comparisons. Whether you are pitching a product or an idea, if you mention a small drawback or flaw along with the many positive attributes, your audience tends to subconsciously weigh the many pluses against this trifling minus and conclude that the idea or product is a good one. It also makes the audience trust you more, since no product or idea is considered perfect. If you fail to list any negatives or doubts, the audience might instead think up more serious ones on their own—or compare your product or idea more carefully to others before making their decision. This strategy works best when your audience is busy or distracted…and when the advantages are discussed before the small negative is mentioned. Example: If you sell items on eBay, disclose a tiny scratch, missing instruction manual or some other minor flaw in the description.

2. Don’t tell yourself you will accomplish a goal—ask yourself whether you can. For decades, we’ve been told about the power of positive thinking. Proponents claim that thinking I can do this (or other words of confidence) before making a sales pitch boosts your confidence and increases your odds of success. But while positive self-talk is certainly better than negative self-talk, research published in Psychological Science pointed to an even more effective strategy. Rather than make positive statements to yourself about your abilities, ask yourself questions that force your mind to consider your abilities—Can I do this? instead of I can do this.

   In one study, participants who were instructed to write “Will I?” 20 times solved nearly twice as many anagram puzzles as those instructed to write “I will.”

   Asking yourself questions about your abilities encourages your mind to mull things over and think up reasons why you can succeed, which are much more meaningful than simple “I can do it” platitudes. You even might think of strategies that increase your odds of success.

   Example: “Will I be able to present my mistake to my wife in a way that doesn’t make her angry?”

3. Use a mild profanity. Most of us scrupulously avoid profanity when we present our ideas and products—we don’t want to offend the people we’re trying to convince. But a study by researchers at Northern Illinois University discovered that inserting a mild curse word into our speech makes us seem to have greater conviction in what we’re presenting, which increases our persuasiveness.

   Keep the profanity mild, and use this strategy only when your conviction is genuine—listeners tend to be very good at spotting false conviction.

   Example: “Excuse my language, but this is a damn good idea.”

4. When you think that you have the upper hand in a sales situation, think of reasons why you don’t. It’s a wonderful feeling to have the best product, idea or skill set—it means that you can make your sales pitch with confidence. But there’s an underappreciated downside to being in a strong sales position. A study by researchers at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management found that when people see themselves in a position of power in an interpersonal interaction, they become substantially less likely to see things from the other party’s point of view, and that reduces their ability to be persuasive.

   If you’re feeling confident and powerful shortly before making a sales pitch, remind yourself of ways in which you lack power, then think through the situation from the buyer’s perspective.

   Example: An employer presenting a new compensation system to his/her employees is likely to feel that he’s in a position of power because he’s the boss. Before the presentation, he should remind himself that the economy is improving—so his employees could find other jobs if they became unhappy—then reconsider how the new compensation system is likely to be received.

5. Stop trying to solve people’s problems, and start trying to identify the problems they’ve missed. In the past, selling was about solving problems—if a customer needed a lightbulb, you sold him a lightbulb…if an employer posted a help-wanted ad, you sold him on your skills and experience.

   But in the Internet-age, people can solve problems such as these on their own—a quick Web search will turn up great lightbulb prices…and online employment Web sites can turn up hundreds of qualified job candidates in minutes. Today the most successful salespeople are those who can spot problems that potential customers don’t yet even realize they have.

   Examples: Rather than sell a lightbulb, evaluate the light fixtures and windows and propose a new illumination strategy that brings in more natural light or saves electricity. Rather than submit a résumé for a job opening, approach a company that hasn’t advertised an opening to discuss ways in which you could improve the company’s bottom line.

6. Stress potential at least as much as accomplishments. Accomplishments are real and verifiable, while potential is subjective and uncertain. Logically, accomplishments should carry much greater weight with an audience. But a 2012 study by researchers at Stanford University and Harvard Business School found that the opposite was true—people generally find potential more enticing than actual accomplishments. The researchers speculated that the inherent uncertainty surrounding someone’s or something’s potential will cause possible buyers to consider it more deeply. And when buyers think deeply about someone or something, they often begin to feel a connection and think of reasons why this relationship will work.

   Example: When you’re asked about a past accomplishment during a job interview, use it as a springboard to explain your tremendous potential for future accomplishments. “Yes, I led the marketing team on that product rollout. We focused on a social-media–based campaign, which was almost unheard of at the time. That’s what I bring to the table—I can come up with new angles for your future product introductions that will get attention.”