Truth and Perception in Sales

Truth and Perception in Sales


Some people believe that is there no such thing as truth in sales, only perception. However, it is certain that all beliefs cannot be considered equal in truth. Also, what is true or false is independent of what we may believe is true or false. In addition, some statements are neither true, nor false, but a matter of opinion. Although it is apparent that truth is not entirely relative, I advise an approach to sales (and marketing) that calls for tolerance of the views of others, and the ability to use their views as a starting point for persuasion.

There is a group of philosophers called “logical positivists” who said something similar about truth. An English philosopher named G.E. Moore illustrated the difficulty raised when people disagree about statements that are neither true nor false logically, but involve ethical or qualitative statements. Moore said, “If a man said that thrift was a virtue, and another replied that it was a vice, they would not … be disputing with one another. One would be saying that he approved of thrift and the other that he didn’t; and there is no reason why both these statements should not be true.”

This is similar to the ever-present struggle between the price and quality of services provided by transportation companies. Which is more important to you? Prospective customers fall anywhere along a continuum from primarily valuing low cost to those who primarily require excellent service/quality from their transportation providers. In sales, the best approach is to try and achieve the customer’s optimum balance in their perceived levels of both cost and quality/service in order to obtain the best overall value for the customer.

Whenever I read a book, I try to grant the writer his (or her) starting point. Whether you believe that the picture painted by an author is believable or not, you must read a book accepting the starting point that you are given by the author. Similarly, when dealing with others, you must first try to establish their perception of things and begin from their point of understanding. Trying to convince someone all at once of something that they believe unlikely or impossible is much harder than gradually leading them to believe something through the incremental introduction of ideas close to those they already accept as true. Perceptions can be gradually altered in this way. However, it is usually counter-productive to try and tell people that their perceptions are wrong.

Gradually introducing facts that are relevant to changing a person’s perception about something is usually much more effective than attempting to show that the person’s feelings about something are ‘wrong’. For instance, if a person believes that “one trucking company is no different than another”, you must probe the person to discover why they believe this to be true. In the course of listening to them, you will discover the problems that this person has faced with trucking companies in the past and so learn the approach that you must take in altering their perception about your company.

This tolerance of other people’s perception of “truth” makes a big difference in sales and marketing. One can be an aggressive persuader while still maintaining the dignity of all parties involved. A good salesperson will sell ideas in an aggressive way, while maintaining the dignity of all parties, without arrogance.

Talk to your customers, work hard on your questions and really listen to what they say. Use what you hear. I believe that talking to consumers face-to-face is the best place to start and the best place to finish. Once you’ve determined the people who use your service/product, or are good prospects, you interview them until you gain some insights. You’ll get better results if you make the other person feel comfortable, so do everything you can to do so. Be honest, low-pressure, interested, non-threatening and persistent as to “why”. Listen hard for what people mean, not just what they say. Try not to approach the interviews with a predetermined end result in mind. Don’t ask leading questions to achieve that result and do try to determine the underlying reasons for opinions that are expressed. This is a way to determine whether the perceived need of the prospect might actually be a symptom of some other unfilled need. Then, take what you’ve learned and try to develop an insight as to what people really want (or need) and how you can position your product so that your particular brand will fill those needs (if it’s a good fit).

In sales and marketing, sometimes truth really does not matter as much as perception. However, I am not implying a world without moral or logical standards. Rather, an approach that employs tolerance of the views of others, in order to obtain the benefits of appealing to someone from a common starting point of understanding, will benefit you in sales and marketing (and life in general). You don’t have to agree with someone to acknowledge their beliefs and understand their motivation.