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Your ability, as a salesperson, to effectively influence and persuade your prospects and/or customers depends entirely on your ability to communicate effectively. Yes, sometimes having a product to demonstrate, the ability to use third party references, and the use of proof sources (articles, case studies, letters of reference, brochures, news stories, etc) can help you achieve sales success, but I believe that your single strongest tool/skill is your ability to effectively and correctly use language – words – when selling to your prospects/customers.Over the years, I have observed hundreds of salespeople, who represented a variety of organizations selling both services and tangible products, lose sales and customers because of their inability to articulate concepts, ideas and benefits professionally.All of us have one thing in common, regardless of what we sell, how long we have been selling, and whether we are succeeding or failing: we all use words to communicate. I do not mean to play down the importance of non-verbal communication – actually, it makes up a very large percentage of the meaning of the messages we send and receive – but this week I would like to spend a few minutes on the use of words. There are a number of areas we could cover, but I would like to focus on just one – how to prevent misunderstanding by using words that prevent the possibility of confusion.Let me give you a few examples (please, while you read, see if you can determine my meaning):1. Our product is BETTER than our competitor’s. (What is better? How much better?)2. Our service will EXCEED your expectations. (How much? When? How?)3. Our prices are LOWER than EVERY one else’s. (How much? Everyone? All the time?)4. We GUARANTEE your satisfaction. (How? For how long?)5. We have the FASTEST delivery in the industry. (How fast?)6. We are the BEST in the wold. (Your turn.)7. We are the ONLY company that can. (Your turn again.)In all of the above examples you are setting yourself and your prospect up for disappointment, misunderstanding, confusion and uncertainty. The way to avoid this possibility is to deal in specifics – not generalities, to deal in words that create clear mental pictures rather than clouded ones, and to clarify the interpretation of your message by the other person with probing questions.
Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com
Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind, 81 Challenges Managers Face and Your First Year In Sales. He is also the CEO of Sales Clubs Of America. He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his websites at www.timconnor.com or www.SalesClubsOfAmerica.com
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