Persuasion lies at the very heart of sales. You have to be able to convince someone that your product or service is the right fit for them. Persuasion isn’t strong-arming people into buying — it’s showing that you have the absolute best solution.

In his LinkedIn Learning course, “The 10 Essentials of Influence and Persuasion,” behavioral scientist Steve Martin discusses insight into how salespeople can boost their persuasive skills. J.C. McKissen, a writer and editor at LinkedIn, covered the course in a LinkedIn post.

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we distill what McKissen learned from Martin when it comes to becoming more persuasive. Keep reading to learn how to grow your influence, boost your sales and nail your quota.

Go beyond basic facts. According to Martin, a common mistake is thinking all you need to do is provide the other person with some solid facts and a reason why. McKissen says persuading others requires much more than data, no matter how compelling the facts may be. In sales, it’s important to make the right comparison. You might, for example, present your solution against a costlier or less robust solution. This can help prospects get a better feel for the value you can bring.

Remember the Golden Rule. Instead of going into sales conversations wondering how you can benefit, change your mindset. Think about who you can help first. Treating others how you want to be treated is foundational to becoming a great salesperson, McKissen says. Martin adds that the act of giving to others is especially relevant when it comes to influencing others. So, seek to help rather than be helped.

Personalization matters. Martin says that successful persuasion is always personal. This is why spray-and-pray approaches seldom work — they don’t allow salespeople to break through the tremendous amount of noise in the market today. To become a more powerful persuader, customize your conversations and approaches.

Look for commonalities. What do you have in common with your prospect? Maybe you attended the same university or support the same sports teams. These are great places to start, but don’t be afraid to dig deeper. Martin says it’s even better when you can seek uncommon commonalities, which are interests and traits that are relatively rare. You can discover these by taking time to get to know the prospect and asking the right discovery questions, McKissen says.

Instead of just hoping for the deal, the most effective salespeople tap into their persuasion skills. You, too, can become a more persuasive professional and open the door to more opportunities by applying the tips above.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: J.C. McKissen is a writer and editor at LinkedIn and a LinkedIn Top Voice.