Perfect example of using Tie Downs

First just to get it out of the way, here's what a Tie Down is:

A statement to get agreement from the prospect.

You'll see a fair number of sales people using tie downs as trial closes or in trying to get the prospect to say "yes."

"And it comes in beautiful colors too, eh?" or "It works in any weather. That's a good thing, right?" or "And it always delivers the right amount. Who doesn't like that?"

But I'm here to tell you these are weak uses of tie downs.

You can use tie downs more effectively. Plus there's a more effective way of delivering a tie down.

And I noticed someone who has this technique perfectly nailed.

And that would be Jon Taffer, from the TV show, "Bar Rescue."

Here's why:

In the above mentioned examples, the sales person is attempting to get agreement to statements that may not be of top priority to the buyer.

So to ramp up the power of a tie down, tie it into something the prospect has mentioned as a buying motive.

In other words, you've uncovered one (or more) of the prospect's buying motive, something that's important enough to them that it could help move them toward the sale - and then using a tie down to have the prospect solidify that motive.

And that's exactly what Taffer does.

Because the prospect isn't committed when agreeing to a matter that doesn't matter to him or her.

And you want to get the buyer on board, not just make pleasant small talk. In his show, he remakes a bar on the verge of collapse and transforms it into a money maker. And even though the show pays for the remodeling and all, he still has to get the bar owner on board. He has to sell the remake. Going out of business or not, the bar is still the owner's beloved baby and you wouldn't believe how some of these bar owners fight him tooth and nail over his proposed changes.

So instead of trying to seek agreement on a list of benefits or features, logic or reason, you'll see Taffer take what the bar owner said was important to him or her, and then tie it down when he sells them on his remake.

Now, I'm paraphrasing here but this is the gist of it:

Taffer: "You told me that the history of this building was very important to you, because this is where your great-grandfather Joseph started your family legacy in this country, isn't that right?"

And the bar owner will agree.

Taffer: "And so we're honoring your great-grandfather by renaming the bar, "Joe's 1894 Landmark."

Bar owner's all tears now.

But I said it's also in the way the tie down's delivered.

What Taffer does is to use a positive-negative question as the format to deliver the tie down. It's not just "You told me that the history of this building was very important to you, because this is where your great-grandfather started your family legacy in this country" - - but also adding "isn't that right?" as a tag to the statement - which prompts the buyer to answer. And because it's a negative question, the buyer is more likely to answer in the affirmative.

Yet Taffer doesn't stop there.

Watch his body language when he deploys his tie downs.

When he asks the postive-negative question, he smiles, outstretches his hand as if to welcome the buyer in, and nods his head up and down in a "yes" manner, all to help prompt agreement.

That's a perfectly done tie down, wouldn't you say?