3 Ways Behavioral Science Can Help You Close More Machinery Deals

In heavy equipment sales, the conventional wisdom is to push hard on specs, performance stats, and ROI calculations. But research shows some surprisingly effective strategies that go beyond the standard equipment sales playbook. Here are three approaches that can help machinery sales teams close more deals — especially when selling to construction firms, agricultural operations, and industrial buyers.

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The work of Nancy Harhut, a behavioral scientist and marketing expert, was featured recently at Inc.com. Harhut explores many ways to improve sales with customer psychology, but here are three tailored to the heavy equipment industy.

Strategy #1: Tell Customers They Don't Have to Buy 

Counter-intuitive for machinery sales? Absolutely. But here's why it works: When customers hear "no pressure to buy," their defenses drop. It's called autonomy bias — customers are more likely to commit when they feel in control of major capital purchases.

Field example: When following up on quotes for heavy equipment, have reps acknowledge the customer's decision-making process: "Here's the full spec sheet on that excavator. Take time to review it with your team and decide if it fits your fleet needs." This approach works particularly well with construction firms making significant capital investments.

Strategy #2: Lead with Potential Losses, Not Just Savings 

In machinery sales, the focus is usually on productivity gains and fuel efficiency. But Harhut's research shows customers respond more strongly to avoiding losses. Frame conversations around what they're losing by not upgrading or replacing aging equipment.

Field example: Instead of saying, "This new wheel loader delivers 15% better fuel efficiency," try something like, "Your current loader is burning an extra $800 in fuel every month compared to the new model. That's nearly $10,000 in unnecessary costs per year, not counting higher maintenance expenses on aging equipment."

Strategy #3: Start with Your Premium Models 

When showing equipment options, start with your top-tier machines. This creates an anchor point that makes mid-range models feel more accessible while keeping premium sales in play.

Field example: Begin walkthroughs with your highest-capacity machines or most advanced technology packages. Even if customers ultimately choose mid-range options, they'll feel more confident about their purchase knowing they've considered all capabilities.

Tracking What Really Moves Equipment Sales 

These strategies can significantly impact heavy machinery sales, but success depends on understanding how they work with different customer segments. Are construction firms responding differently than agricultural buyers? Do these approaches work better for certain equipment categories?

Voze helps machinery sales teams capture and analyze these patterns. Sales reps can quickly log customer reactions and outcomes through voice notes between site visits, building valuable insight into which approaches work best for specific customer types and equipment categories.

For heavy equipment dealers, this kind of practical field intelligence beats theoretical sales advice. The key is having a simple way for reps to document what's working without adding paperwork to their already full days.

Bottom line: The most effective machinery sales strategies often challenge conventional wisdom. Success comes from tracking what actually works with your customer base and ensuring the whole team learns from those insights.

Want to learn more about helping your machinery sales team implement and track new strategies? Schedule a quick chat with us!

Based on insights from Nancy Harhut's research in "Using Behavioral Science in Marketing," as reported by Henna Pryor for Inc.