Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How Sales Reps Can Use the Consistency Principle to Close More Deals
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked about a lot of psychological triggers in sales over the past few months — scarcity, loss aversion, social proof. But there's one principle that's almost invisible because it feels so obvious, and that's consistency. Luna: The consistency principle — where people want to align their actions with their stated beliefs or past commitments. It's a classic from Cialdini. Lucas: Exactly. And the reason it works so well in sales is that once a prospect makes a small commitment — even a verbal one — they're much more likely to follow through with a larger one. It's the same psychological muscle that makes people keep coffee subscriptions they don't use anymore. Luna: If today's episode helps you think differently about how you sequence your conversations, that's enough. And if it was worth a coffee to you, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Seriously, listener support is what keeps this show ad-free and focused on what matters. Lucas: I'll echo that. Even a few bucks helps us keep the lights on and avoid selling your ears to some SaaS company. So, back to consistency — let me give you a concrete example. Luna: Please. Lucas: I worked with a SaaS company, call it Cloudflow — they sold project management software. Their sales team was struggling with a close rate around 20% on demos. So we tested a small change: at the start of the demo, the rep asked the prospect to write down their top three project challenges and what they wanted to achieve. Luna: So they're publicly committing to the problem and the desired outcome. Lucas: Right. Then, throughout the demo, the rep would reference those notes: 'You said you wanted to reduce missed deadlines by half — here's how our tool does that.' By the end, the prospect had already 'agreed' with themselves that this solution was the answer. Close rate went from 20% to 35% in two months. Luna: That's a huge lift. And it didn't require any pricing changes or discounts. Lucas: Zero. All psychology. And the key was that the commitment was active — the prospect wrote it down, not the rep. That makes it their own belief, not a suggestion from you. Luna: So how do reps apply this in a typical sales cycle? What are the small commitments they can ask for at each stage? Lucas: Great question. Early on, it's as simple as getting the prospect to agree that the problem is worth solving. 'Would you agree that delays in your supply chain are costing you around $50,000 a quarter?' If they say yes, you've got a commitment to the problem. Luna: Then later, you can reference that agreement. 'You mentioned the cost is fifty thousand a quarter — our solution can reduce that by 70 percent.' Lucas: Exactly. And it's not just verbal. After each meeting, send a brief email summarizing what they committed to. 'I'll send over the proposal by Friday, and you'll review it with your team by next Wednesday.' When they reply 'looks good,' they've made another small commitment. Luna: Does this work with prospects who are skeptical or hesitant? Lucas: Actually, it works especially well with skeptics. Because they tend to be more deliberate — they think through their commitments. If you can get a skeptic to agree to a pilot or a limited trial, they'll often go all-in because they've internally justified that decision. Luna: I've seen that with car sales, too. When a test driver says 'I like the handling,' the salesperson knows they've already started buying. Lucas: Classic example. And the danger is using consistency unethically — like getting a prospect to commit to a low price and then switching the terms. That's bait and switch, and it destroys trust. Luna: So the ethical use is about helping the prospect see their own logic, not trapping them. Lucas: Right. You're not manipulating; you're making the decision path transparent. One more example: a financial advisor I know asks new clients to write down their retirement goals on the first visit. Then, every time they're tempted to make an impulsive investment, the advisor pulls out that sheet. Luna: It's like a north star for their own decision-making. Lucas: Exactly. And the consistency principle also works retroactively. If a customer has bought from you before, remind them of that positive experience. 'You chose us last year because you wanted reliability. Our new product offers even more.' They're likely to buy again to stay consistent with their past choice. Luna: So it's about threading a narrative through the relationship. Every interaction builds on the last. Lucas: Right. And the best part is that consistency doesn't require a big ask. The initial commitment can be tiny — a one-word email reply, a checkbox on a form, a verbal 'that makes sense.' But each small yes makes the next yes easier. Luna: What about when a prospect says 'I'll think about it' — how do you use consistency there? Lucas: That's the moment to get a specific commitment. Say, 'Great, what specifically will you think about? Let's set a time to discuss your conclusions.' If they agree to a follow-up call, you've locked in a small commitment. Then on that call, you start by saying 'You wanted to think about the ROI — here's the data you asked for.' They're already on the hook. Luna: It's a subtle shift from 'I'll get back to you' to 'we have an appointment.' Lucas: Yes. And you can even use consistency to reduce discounting pressure. If a prospect asks for a 20% discount, you can say 'You told me earlier that the solution's value was worth the full price. Help me understand what changed.' Often, they back down because they don't want to contradict themselves. Luna: That's a powerful reframe. It's not adversarial — it's just reminding them of their own assessment. Lucas: Exactly. So the takeaway here: consistency isn't about tricking anyone. It's about designing your sales process to help prospects act in alignment with their own stated beliefs and past behaviors. And the more specific and active the commitment, the stronger the effect. Luna: Any final tip for someone listening on their commute? Lucas: Look at your last five closed deals and identify the small commitments the prospect made along the way. Then figure out how to formalize those steps in your process. You'll probably find you can replicate that pattern. Luna: Solid advice. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna.