Most people in sales are in a competitive field. They are either replacing existing solutions (think CRMs or cars) or educating the market about a new space and product (think first smartphone). If you aren’t in a competitive space, it won’t be long before competitors appear. And then a key component of the sale becomes standing out from your competition.
Now I’m often asked if you can mindhack others the same way you can mindhack yourself? Mindhacking others is most definitely possible. In fact, we are mindhacking others every day. Every time you open your mouth, you are potentially mindhacking those who are listening. You are inserting mental images and movies other people’s minds. You are planting soundbites that get repeated from your champion to the decision-maker.
The below example will address how to mindhack someone else while helping a salesperson stand apart from their competitors. Note how your word choices influences the listener. Each word has an effect. Your word choice is driven by your intent. Where do you want to move the listener? How do you move the buyer from A to B?
Standing Apart from Your Competitors Example
Prospect asks, “What sets you (your company/product/service) apart from any of your other competitors?” (implication = in my visual field everyone looks the same)
You: Good question.
I’m sure if you have been researching a new solution for a while all the competitors start looking the same (pacing their implication). However, if you look closer (moves the image closer) you will see there are 3 key factors that set us apart and place us ahead of the competition (you move out of the crowd of competitors in their visual field).
First one is X. We added X because our customers were asking for it. It was a subtle change but very much needed because it cut out 2 steps, so over the course of a day or week, a lot more time is saved. This alone raised us head and shoulders above our competitors. (Raises you, who is already standing apart, and lifts you above the competitors in their visual field)
Second, we offer Y. Now you may be thinking others offer Y too (paces prospect and visually some indication of similarity is placed on every vendor including you, for example the whole image gets tinted yellow), but (the “but” negates the previous statement) how we deliver Y is through a unique algorithm with a graphical display making it easy as drag and drop.
With closer inspection, (moves the image or part of the image closer) you see their Y’s really aren’t Y’s at all. We are the only ones who deliver “the Y” the way customers expect it. (the whole image is no longer tinted yellow, just you).
Lastly, we have Z. We are really proud of Z because we know the investment in Z for our customers ensures that they stay with us for years to come. Now I’m not going to say that just by having Z, it leaves our competitors in the dust, (dust covers the competitors below you) it’s just that we’ve found this alone being the key reason most people sitting right where you are, partner with us. (brings the prospect and you or your company/product/service into the same picture)
And like these customers, I’m sure it is important to you to have a partner like us walking side-by-side to achieve your business objectives. (new image has only the prospect and you side-by-side with no competitors in sight)
So you can see when you started, the prospect had an image with no distinction between you and your competitors. And at the end you have created an image of just you and the prospect and no competitors in their mind.
You have essentially mindhacked their internal world and reshaped it to best position you or your company to win the business.
This is going on every day quite unconsciously already. You are just adding intent to achieve your outcome. Same words. Same language. Just arranged for a specific result.
Now the next time you open your mouth think through what your outcome or objective is, which words you want to use, and how you want to structure those words to influence the listener.
