Teach “I Don’t” In Place of “I Can’t”

In most of our interactions with consumers, we’re wanting them to do something. Still, there are many retailers of services who succeed when they empower a client not to do something. The clearest examples are in the treatment of habit disorders, such as at clinics for weight loss or substance abuse. A starting point in the treatment is for the client to sincerely conclude that the old habit needs to be changed. Beyond that, though, how do we build up the resistance to temptation?
     Researchers at University of Houston and Boston College say that a change of phrase can help: Teach the client to say, “No, I don’t,” when faced with the temptation.
     Study participants were assigned to one of three groups, based on what they were instructed to say to others and to themselves:

• “No, I won’t”
• “No, I can’t”
• “No, I don’t”

     Over the course of the study, each participant received a daily e-mail with a reminder of what to say. The participants were also asked to regularly report details of circumstances in which the phrase worked or didn’t work, along with the feelings and thoughts experienced.
     The “No, I don’t” group reported substantially more success than did those in the other two groups. They also said they noticed improvements in feelings of self-direction. They became more likely to believe and act as though they themselves were making the decision to decline than that somebody else was forcing them to do it.
     Similar results were found in three additional consumer studies.
     An adaptation of this technique can be used regarding salesperson-shopper interactions. When a consumer makes a request that is unrealistic, we are better off saying, “My store does not do that,” rather than, “My store won’t do that” or “My store can’t do that.”
     Notice that in this case, none of the statements would begin with, “No.” This is because, in my experience, “no” is a shopper’s least favorite word. My general rule is to avoid saying “no,” instead developing a way to say “yes” and setting a price on it or otherwise finding a way to acceptably satisfy the person.
     Throughout, do accompany any no with a yes. The dieter should be sure what to eat in addition to what not to eat. The substance abuser should know what, when facing temptation, is the productive thing to do and why to do that, along with what not to do and why.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more:
Clench Your Fists to Fight Temptation
Repeat Yourself Repeatedly
Say Yes and Apply a Price