Sales and The Art of Communication
Sales is all about communication — persuading people that they absolutely need a certain product or service. However, hard selling, the process of almost forcing prospects to purchase something they probably don’t need is a tactic that can no longer be considered valid or successful. Not only do customers see through this and end the conversation almost immediately, it is also no way to build up a good company image with a strong database of happy and returning costumers.
Because of this, businesses have to place a strong focus on ensuring their sales team is trained in effective communication. This is true for both external and internal communication. It requires an increased understanding of all elements of communication, including such things as tone, body language and the actual words used.
The Everything DiSC Sales Profile and Improving Sales Communication
The Everything DiSC Sales Profile teaches salespeople to better connect, listen more effectively, and build a lasting rapport with their prospective and current customers. As salespeople we have all had customer interaction experiences where we have had challenges connecting with our customers. Unfortunately this lack of connection and rapport has either increased the sales cycle or even resulted in the lose of the potential sale. What if we could pinpoint and effectively adapt our approach to the buying styles of the customer and reduce the instances of miscommunication and develop positive relationships regardless of the different customer types we come into contact with every day.
The Everything DiSC Sales Profile Focuses on Three Important Areas That Impact Sales Success:
- Developing An Understanding of Your Individual Sales Style. The results of the report allow salespeople to discover exactly how their individual DiSC Sales Styles impact the sales process. Salespeople will discover how their particular priorities impact every sales process and give strategies to increase their awareness of the particular communication styles of customers.
- Understanding and Recognizing their Customer Buying Styles. These are introduced in the report as the “Customer Mapping Process.” This powerful tool empowers salespeople with reliable ways to determine, coordinate, and adapt to those buying behaviors that generate effective communication and lasting rapport with all their customers.
- How To Adapt Your Natural Sales Style To The Customers’ Buying Style. By developing and implementing Everything DiSC Sales Maps salespeople will learn how to adapt their natural selling styles to the individual buying language of that customer. This improved understanding of exactly how that customer communicates permits salespeople to more effectively connect and deliver superior customer service.
The Everything DiSC Sales Training Kit delivers sales training that combines the results of the Everything DiSC Sales Profile, engaging training modules and embedded video, and on-line post-training exercises resulting in a personalized learning experience.
Employing DiSC Sales Training Kits, a straightforward and user-friendly learning system, salespeople will discover ways to people-read and comprehend the buying styles of their customers. The outcome from the Everything DiSC Sales Profile assists salespeople in adapting their selling styles in order to connect much better – and successfully close more sales.
Understanding the Five Stages of Action
Another vitally important part of building a strong sales team is that they understand the five stages of action.
“The foundations of most modern sales techniques lie in five stages of action. These began in the 1950’s.”
How Sales Techniques Work
The first stage is attention, which is simply getting the attention of the customer. The second stage is interest, meaning that you have to make sure that your potential customers are interested in what you have to sell. The third stage is desire. Not only should your customers be interested in what you have, they should actually start to want it. The fourth stage is conviction; where your sales team figures out a way to actually convince people that they need what you offer. The final stage is action, which is the closing part, where the costumer performs the action of making a purchase.
When looking at those five stages, we can easily see how important it is to get communication with the customer correct. On the one hand, you have to be convincing and determined to make a sale, but on the other hand, we know that hard selling no longer works. It is a very fine line to walk and this takes a special kind of person, the right training and excellent communication skills to get it right.
Internal Communication
The first step towards creating a strong sales team is preparing them. This should be a top-down, bottom-up approach between the team and their leaders and managers. It is very important that the sales team fully understands what the expectations are that are placed on them and how they can achieve them. They also have to know what kind of sales tactics are allowed and those that aren’t acceptable. Furthermore, they have to know who they can speak to if they have any issues regarding their job.
Improving Communication Through Listening
Whether internal or external, communication is for a large part of listening. Being a good listener is key to having a strong sales team, and a strong emphasis should be placed on this.
“Truly listening, without your thoughts wandering or planning your response, is an act of caring. It is immediately felt and it builds the rapport and connection that speaking does not.” 4 Ways To Improve Your Communication Skills for Sales
It is very important to understand that the old tactic of repeating what the customer said in different words is actually not effective. It was long believed that this was an excellent method of showing people that you heard what they say, but it has now been shown to be ineffective. Not only does repeating not demonstrate that something has been heard, but it is also incredibly annoying for the person on the other side.
Listening is truly about caring. It is about wanting to hear what other people have to say, because you genuinely want to find a solution for them. You have to make sure that you don’t speak before you should. Very often, as people, we try to come up with a solution before truly understanding the problem, and that is an urge you must learn to resist in order to be a strong salesperson.
Interestingly, one of the elements of excellent communication between salespeople and potential customers is using the right words. Everybody has a certain way of talking and by listening appropriately; you will be able to pick up on certain words that these people use that obviously have a heightened meaning to them. When speaking to someone in their own language, you immediately build up rapport.
For too long, sales had been about confusing potential customers, using complicated words and jargon in order to make them feel that they need a certain product because they can’t live without it. Again, this is a tactic that should not be employed anymore, as it will not allow you to build up that network of customers who are happy to come back for more. Speaking to customers in their own language means you put yourself on the same standing as them, which makes them feel like you are approachable and one of their own.
Using Selling Scripts
The issue of using scripts is controversial. On the one hand, it works because it is often a formula for success. On the other hand, scripts often don’t work because customers don’t follow the script. It is impossible to anticipate everything customers might say and have a response at the ready. Additionally, when responses are scripted, customers often hear this, which means they immediately feel as if they are not being listened to. It often means that the salesperson has to look up their responses, which leads to lags in conversation, again making the customer feel as if they are not being taken seriously.
However, it must also be recognized that standard responses can be very important, particularly if they are relating to certain policies and procedures. As such, an organization must focus on teaching their sales team not so much the words of their scripts, but rather the actual intent of them. When they truly listen to their customers, they are able to then respond with the appropriate information, in the appropriate language. This takes training and time, and this is something businesses should invest in.
About Steve Giles
Co-owner/Co-founder of Intesi! Resources. Educated as an architect I transitioned to technology during my career in architecture. Intesi! Resources was founded in 2004 and my focus is everything Web/eCommerce related from the design and development of our site to all the marketing activities involved. I also provide significant support for our clients on all our products and how they are used to deliver assessment-driven learning solutions that develop self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
