Leave It To The Future

Future pacing is a phenomenal strategy that reminds your prospect of all the reasons they made the decision to purchase or sign up with you, and transfers all of those reasons to the future, reminding them why, through triggers and signals that you will have installed.

I do this every time I sell without thinking twice because it's such a powerful way to help your prospect or client lock in the decision no matter what outside influences say or regardless of the second thoughts they may have themselves.

Because this is a more advanced technique, I won't be going into it too deeply here, but giving you more of an overview and example of how this works. As a young man I used this to sell health spa memberships.

I had an eighteen year old guy come in and he wanted to buy a membership so I sold it to him. I didn't even really have to 'sell' it to him because he was so eager to sign up.

After the young man signed the contract I employed a little future pacing with him. I said, 'Imagine if someone were to tell you that joining up with us was a bad decision. What would cause you to go through with your commitment to join up?'

He said, 'I'm certain this is what I want. I've been wanting this a long time.'

I responded, 'That's great. Now, suppose you started to doubt your own decision. What would cause you to stay with it anyway?'

He replied, 'I know what I want. Nothing is going to make me doubt my decision.'

A few hours later I got a phone call from the young man's mother. She said, 'Hey, you sold my son a gym membership earlier today.'

I said, 'He came in and bought a membership, I didn't have to sell it to him.'

She responded, 'Okay. So he bought a membership. But I'd like it if you would cancel it immediately and send me a notice that it's been canceled.'

I said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am. I can't do that. Your son is over the age of eighteen. I wouldn't have been able to sell it to him otherwise. He'll need to come in with the paper work within the 72 hour cancellation period and as the agreement says, we'll cancel it.'

She said, 'Okay, we'll be there tomorrow.'

The next day the young man and his mother came in. He was pretty unhappy about what he was there to do, it was obvious. He said, 'I need to cancel my membership, but I was wondering if I could work out today and show my mom the guy. Is that possible?'

'Absolutely,' I said.

So he went and worked out. Well apparently they drove separate cars if I remember the correctly and the kid ducked out and left his mom there.

She approached me and said, 'We need to cancel this membership now.'

I said, 'I would be happy to take care of that for you if you can just give me the contract.'

She said, 'I don't have it. He has it.'

'I have to follow the terms of the agreement. And I'm more than happy to cancel this membership, but I'm going to need that contract. So he has 72 hours, like I said, to come back in and we'll take care of that for you.'

The next day the kid comes in, brings the agreement and says, 'I'm supposed to give this to you, but before I do, can I just work out?'

'Absolutely.'

For the second day in a row he worked out, and for the second day in a row, he left without seeing me.

On the third day his mother dragged him in and said, 'Turn over the damn contract to this man immediately.' He handed it to me.

'Cancel it immediately,' she said.

'Do you want this contract canceled?' I asked him.

'No!' He started to argue with his mother in front of me, all the reasons why he had to have this membership. He seemed virtually ready to sever his relationship with her to save his membership.

I realized at this point what had happened. This kid was unable to back out of the agreement because I had future paced his decision. I took the contract and canceled it immediately.

When you future pace something, you lock it into the mind of the person and I'm telling you right now that with the power of the strength of their own mind, you will have virtually locked them in.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of wealthy clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.

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