 By Geoffrey James , Inc.com, based upon a conversation with Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, an expert on the psychology of influence. 1. You have already helped this customer. For example, you have provided a unique industry perspective during your discussions or have brought your customer a referral for a potential customer for the customer's business. (Editor's Note: This week the MMBA office was told the director of a local food shelf said he is going to be making purchases at a member's facility more often, instead of the privately owned liquor store he lives next to, because of the member's participation in the MMBA Food Drive.) 2. The customer believes your offering is unique or rare. In general, this means that you have established that your firm is the only viable source for what the customer actually needs to solve the problem. 3. The customer considers you an authority. You have revealed something about your specific background or experience that leads the customer to consider you uniquely knowledgeable about the issues involved. 4. Buying will bolster this customer's self-image. The customer has made specific statements that define himself or herself as the type of person who needs and buys what you're offering. 5. The customer knows peers who've bought from you. Customers are deeply swayed by "social pressure" which you generally create by providing examples and references that match the profile of the current customer. 6. The customer likes you personally. During your conversations, you've uncovered similarities between yourself and the customer, and have communicated in words and deeds that you truly respect that customer. SCORING: For this checklist, the scoring is cumulative. If most of items on the list are "true" you're likely to get a "YES!" If only a couple of the items are "true" then, it's iffy. If all of them are "false," the chances that you'll get a "YES!" are slim indeed. | 
