“The Power of the Party” for Selling

If you have ever been to a Tupperware, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, or jewelry party,  you know what happens.  You almost never leave without buying something.  Ever wonder why?  Part of the reason these companies exclusively market through parties is they have discovered the “Liking” principle.  Like the other Influence principles I talked about last month, Liking is an important motivator.

Know-Like-Trust. One of the most basic marketing principles is “Know – Like – Trust.”  People will more readily buy from people they know, and even more from people they like, and even more from people they trust.  That’s just how it is. The power of the party is that by the time it’s done you know the person doing the demonstration, you like her because she is smiling and friendly and gives helpful tips, and she is probably a friend of the hostess so you trust her.

The World’s Greatest Salesman, Joe Girard (as attested to by the Guinness Book of World Records) discovered the Secret of “Like” many years ago.  I first heard about Joe in Robert Cialdini’s book Influence (the one I have been talking about).  Joe figured out that if you get people to like you, you can sell just about anything, including cars.  Joe is still around with a web site to help you learn his secrets, if you are interested.

What makes people like other people? There are some sub-factors in this liking thing:

Physical attractiveness. Research has shown that we like people who are physically attractive.  I’ve never figured out why we think one person (Tom Cruise) is more attractive than another, but we do.  And we tend to like those people; the movie magnates figured this out many years ago and they play on our devotion to good-looking stars.

Similarity.  We like people who are similar to us.  We feel more comfortable around them and we can more easily talk with them.

Compliments. We like people who like us, and who tell us so.  The actor McLean Stevenson (of “MASH” fame) said his wife tricked him into marrying her: “She said she liked me.” Joe Girard was the master at telling people he liked them.

Contact and Cooperation. While segregation increases prejudice, spending time with people, particularly in situations where we have to cooperate, increases liking.  The Tupperware party is a good example.

So what does all this have to do with your small business and your success in marketing to your customers?  Some thoughts:

• Physical attractiveness can be increased by the way you look – neat and clean – and by well-tailored clothing.  A smile doesn’t hurt, either.
• Recognize that you will have more credibility with people who are more like you.  If you are speaking to a group, for example, in some cases  you will have to work a little harder to talk about the commonality of your experiences and why you are like these people.
• Don’t be afraid to let people know you like them.  You don’t have to lie, and you don’t have to be overly gushy, just a few words that let people know.
• If you are working on a big deal, spend time with the customer in social situations, and recognize that you will need to come back several times before they feel comfortable. Maybe you will want to throw a party.

Remember that the progression is always KNOW first, then LIKE, then, maybe TRUST.

Image source: Newscom