“Stay curious, seek disconfirming evidence, and practice active listening.” – Meshell Baker in today’s Tip 1805
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from Meshell Baker, our favorite sales confidence igniter and authentic selling crusader. Here she is:
Meshell Baker: Did you know your brain can actually trick you into seeing only what you want to see? What if I told you this mental blind spot could be costing you sales? Well, it’s true, and it’s called the confirmation bias. So today’s topic is using the confirmation bias to create a conversion boost.
Now, you’ve probably experienced the confirmation bias without even realizing it. It’s a tendency to notice information that supports what you already believe while ignoring or undervaluing evidence that contradicts it. And guess what? This doesn’t just affect you as a salesperson. It impacts your buyers, too. This mental shortcut might be harmless when you’re trying to close deals. Confirmation bias can make it harder to objectively understand your prospect’s needs and objections.
According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision-Making, salespeople who actively worked to identify and combat confirmation bias were 24% more successful in closing deals. Why? Because they were better at seeing all the facts, not just the ones that supported their existing assumptions about the sale.
So you want to overcome this confirmation bias? I’m going to give you three takeaways and one immediately implementable, too.
Takeaway number 1. Stay curious, not certain. To combat the No more information bias. Stay curious. Instead of jumping to conclusions based on your initial read of the prospect, challenge your assumptions. Ask open-ended questions that help you uncover insights you might have missed. Questions like, can you tell me more about why that feature matters to you? Or, What concerns do you have that we haven’t covered? It will help you gather more comprehensive information leading to a better sales approach.
Takeaway number 2. Seek disconfirming evidence. Here’s a counterintuitive strategy. Actively seek out information that disproves your assumptions. Instead of looking for reasons why your prospect will buy, ask yourself why they won’t. By doing this, you can address potential objections before they arise. It’s like spotting the iceberg before it hits your ship.
Takeaway number 3. Practice active listening. Listen more than you speak. It’s easy to focus on pitching your perfect solution. But confirmation bias often kicks in when you’re only hearing what you want to hear. Practice active listening. Focus on the buyer’s needs, concerns, and pain points. Even if they don’t align with your original assumptions, listen to understand, not just to respond.
And I want you to see, a study from Harvard Business Review revealed that 85% of salespeople regularly fall into the trap of confirmation bias, leading to missed opportunities and stalled sales cycles. Just by becoming aware of it, you’re already ahead of the competition.
So the thing you can immediately implement today. Take action. You can start right now. During your next sales call or meeting, ask at least one question that challenges your assumption about the prospect. Something as simple as, is there anything you are hoping to discuss today that we have not covered yet? This small shift will help you uncover hidden concerns and give you a fuller picture of how to move forward.
So again, stay curious, seek disconfirming evidence, and practice active listening. You’ll break through confirmation bias in no time. This will improve your sales process, help you close more deals, and trust me, you got this. Have a great day selling.
Scott Ingram: For more from Meshell, just click over to DailySales.Tips/1805. Once you’ve clicked over there, be sure to click back here for another great sales tip. Thanks for listening!