We start with a quote that explains this particular method of salesmanship: "Selling is the art of creating a desire in the mind of a buyer and satisfying that desire so that buyer and seller benefit." Creating a desire is best seen when you’re buying a car. The salesman and his no pressure tactics make it easy for you to justify letting him talk and show you around. Sitting in a car is harmless, right? No. What the salesman is passively encouraging is your mind picturing yourself driving the car and claiming ownership; creating a desire to have that car.

Buying a car is a process filled with high emotions and creating a desire seems to fit nicely, but it’s hard to picture how to create desire in a person so they buy, say a toaster. It may not be noticeable or in large amounts, or just fueled by necessity, but desire is still present. This is the thinking of Alan Fairweather in his article, How to be a Powerful Persuader.

To sell something, you need to persuade someone. To persuade them, you have to change their mindset. To change their mindset, you have to create a desire to change their status quo. To do this, Fairweather has listed several traits that you must have or use. You may notice that many have something to do with trust. The reason for this is that people buy things, or allow themselves to be persuaded by those they trust. Here is a list and brief descriptions of each:

Belief - Successful persuaders believe in themselves and what they're talking about.
Enthusiasm – You need people to be enthusiastic about what you are selling, and you must lead the way by showing the passion and enthusiasm in you.
Knowledge – You have to know what you're talking about and be able to answer all their questions.
Empathy - Put yourself in the other person's shoes. What do you think is important to them? Consider carefully why they should accept what you're saying.
Persistence - If you want to persuade someone, don't give up on the first "no" or rejection of what you say. Persist and persist - but do it nicely!
Energy - Put energy into all your interactions with other people. Energy fuels enthusiasm.
Consistency - Everything you do or say is important, everything counts. If you're trying to persuade someone to keep their promises, then you must always keep yours.