Hard vs. Soft Selling When to Pitch and When to Seduce

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Hard vs. Soft SellingWhen to Pitch and When to
Seduce
Sources The Art of Seduction by Robert
Greene Soft Selling in a Hard World by Jerry
Vass Why Business People Speak Like Idiots by
Brian Fugere
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The Hard Sell

• Examples (can use direct or indirect
  organization)
• Direct mail/spam
• Telemarketers
• QVC

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The Hard Sell

• Aggressive (one-way communication, command
  language)
• Inflated claims, (miracle cure, best-in-class,
  best-kept secret)
• Dwells on positive (spin)
• Sense of urgency (Buy now!)
• Obvious

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The Hard Sell

• Pros
• Easy formula
• Mass produce-able
• No need for audience input
• Works often enough to offset cost (in some
  situations)

• Cons
• Erodes trust
• Boring, predictable
• Low audience connection
• High rejection rate
• Hard to differentiate

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Communication Matters Discussion

• The Art of Persuasion
• The author comments Its about relationships.
  How do you create a relationship with your
  audience in a short speech?

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The Soft Sell

• Examples
• Best Commercial in Europe
• Super bowl 2008
• The Interview
• Hank the Clydesdale
• Bridgestone
• Thrillicious
• Movie The Italian Job

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The Soft Sell

• Low-key, low urgency
• Assertive, confident
• Audience focused/tailored
• Direct or indirect organization
• Listening, asking questions
• Solving problems, meeting needs

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The Soft Sell

• Substantiates claims (more show, less tell)
• Demonstrates respect and trust
• Listens to audience needs/concerns/objections
• Allows audience to come to their own conclusions,
  doesnt force-feed
• More direct with negative information, no spin

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The Soft Sell Key Component

• Seduction
• Interesting
• Entertaining
• Piques curiosity
• Relevant
• Vivid
• Compelling
• Insidious
• Evokes positive images/emotions

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The Soft Sell

• Pros
• Relationship building
• Trust/credibility
• Respect/likeability
• High success

• Cons
• Requires seller with higher level of
  inter-personal skills and EQ
• Requires more time and effort from seller
• Pre sale research
• During sale listening, probing, adapting

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Why Seduction?

• People hate to be sold to, but love to buy
• The less you seem to be selling, the better
• People like an idea better when they think its
  their own
• Reality check business is usually boring
• Make it interesting and attract success and
  followers
• Use relevant stories, personal commentary,
  unique/creative approaches

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Power of Seduction

• Victims are willing and happy
• Rarely resent manipulation because of perceived
  gain/pleasure

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Hard Sell and Soft Sell

• Choose Hard Sell When
• Product is temporary, limited/one-time use
• Seller is temporary (door-to-door, tele-marketer,
  con)
• Buyer is temporary (tourist, newcomer,
  inexperienced)
• Sense of crisis
• Supply exceeds demand (surplus)

• Choose Soft Sell When
• Product has repeated use
• Seller is permanent
• Buyer is stable/familiar
• No crisis or urgency
• Established corporation, name-brand
• Demand exceeds supply (shortage)
• Conditioning propaganda (image/opinion building)

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Selling to One/Few

• Hard Sell
• Talk
• Tell
• Sell
• Pitch
• Leave

• Soft Sell
• Listen
• Ask
• Solve
• Probe
• Close

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Soft Selling to One/Few

• For more information
• Why Business People Speak Like Idiots by Brian
  Fugere
• Soft Selling in a Hard World by Jerry Vass

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Seduction of the Masses

• Goals
• influence, votes, attention
• Degree of tension
• more diffuse and soft
• Method
• constant/repeated titillation to fascinate with
  what youre offering

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Selling to the MassesDirect Sell vs.
Seduction/Soft Sell

• Direct Sell Candidate
• State your case strongly, directly
• Provide details (talents, ideas, contrast to
  alternative) with expert corroboration
• Tout achievements, results,
• Induce fear (dont ignore me)
• Aggressive ? resistance, distrust,
  grating/irritating

• Seduction/Soft Sell Candidate
• Bring pleasure, create a atmosphere around name
• Never seem to be selling, let entertainment take
  center stage (e.g. elixir sales, 17th century)
• Focus on selling lifestyle, mood, adventure,
  hipness, rebellion (not self)
• Attributive ? good feelings, trust rubs off from
  message to you

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Discussion

• High school office elections
• Hard sell candidate examples?
• Soft sell candidate examples?

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Seduction of the Masses Key Components

1. Appear as news, never as publicity
2. Stir basic emotions
3. Make the medium the message
4. Speak the targets language be chummy
5. Start a chain reaction everyones doing it
6. Tell people who they are

Source Art of Seduction by Robert Greene
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Appear as News

• Dont make first appearance in an ad
• Manufacture an event or attention-getting
  situation ? media picks up as news
• Orchestrate carefully, create dramatic impact
• Conceal real purpose (selling self) at all costs
• Increases credibility
• Increases differentiation/visibility
• Hold attention long enough to hook them
  (controversy, scandal, etc)

Toyota Parks Itself
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Stir Basic Emotions

• Never use rational, direct argument
• Aim for the heart, not the head
• Design words, images ? lust, safety, patriotism,
  values
• Insinuate your true message
• Surround yourself with emotional magnets (war
  heroes, children, saints, small animals)
• Bring emotionally positive associations to mind
• Never leave creation/definition of associations
  to chance

Video Music Man
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Make the Medium the Message

• Pay more attention to form than content
• Images are more seductive than words
• Images retained longer
• Create a hypnotic effect ? make people feel
  happy, sad
• More distracted people are by visual cues, the
  harder it is for them to see your manipulation

Example Political Campaign Commercials
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Speak the Targets Language

• Seem equal, on intimate terms, one of the folks,
  a friend
• Show you understand them, share their spirit,
  language
• To earn trust - use selective honesty, strategic
  weakness
• Complicated words/ideas, too many stats ? fatal
• Avoid appearing superior, smug (but make
  competitors appear)

Carmine Gallo Command a Room
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Start a Chain Reaction

• People desired by others are more seductive
• Act as if you have already excited crowds, and
  are vanguard of a new trend, lifestyle
• Spread your image so it appears everywhere
• Create a viral effect, no one wants to be left
  out
• Act like a trend to become one
• Easiest and most seductiveway to sell

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Tell People Who They Are

• Do not argue ideas ? increased resistance
• Change identity, perception of reality
• Create an image they will want to assume
• Make them dissatisfied with current status
• Change their perception of the world outside
  them
• Use as many media as possible to create a total
  environment for their perceptions
• Make your image part of the atmosphere

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Soft Selling Ethical Issues

• Lack of clarity
• Lack of objectivity

• Lack of truth?

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Soft Sell Speech

• Assignment Instructions
• Disney DVD
• Example student presentations

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The End