Negotiate and Sell Like A Pro! Persuasive Speaking Crash Course for Sales!

Most successful businesses rely heavily on effective customer service. And it is especially important for small businesses that face high levels of competition, spend a significant amount of time meeting with current and potential customers in person, and rely on positive word of mouth endorsements to maintain and expand their customer base. Skills of persuasion can reduce the amount of time your companies' representatives spend dealing with customer objections or complaints, and improve sales numbers and customer satisfaction rates. There are numerous skills and techniques that can be developed through review and practice.

Empathy

Customers are more likely to trust and open up to customer service representatives who have shared their experiences, needs, and/or frustrations, or who make an effort to see things from their point of view. It is also much easier to persuade a customer you’ve related to and built a positive relationship with than one whom you have made no connection.

"Persuasive Speak"

An important skill for customer service representatives to learn, according to Alan Keith, an MBA graduate and professional with more than 20 years experience in the customer service and assessment industry, is to use phrases that "focus on the target of persuasion, rather than the speaker." Instead of saying "I'd recommend the...," a persuasive speaker will say "Vivian, what you're looking for is...;" and instead of saying "let me play the devil's advocate and say that…", persuasive speakers say "Adrian, as an intelligent person, you know that…" In other words, the customer should be the primary focus of your statements, not you and your thoughts or opinions.

Active Voice

Using action words and speaking in the active tense is more likely to persuade a customer to act than using the past tense and avoiding verbs. To get the customer in the right frame of mind, practice leading sentences with verbs. Here are a couple of examples: "Buying this product will save you money in the long run, Marie;" "placing your order now will ensure it is installed as soon as possible;" "making space for the product in your bedroom is not difficult." Speaking in the present and active tense can also help you move the customer's attention away from past challenges and frustrations and toward solutions in the here and now.

Maintain Simplicity

Customers are more likely to be persuaded by suggestions, ideas, or solutions that they understand, and your ability to quickly elicit understanding will improve your ability to persuade the customer of the merits of your suggestions.

Repetition

Repetition is sometimes the most effective tool a customer service representative has to persuade a customer. The ability to be repetitive without being annoying comes into play when you learn to repeat the same ideas or suggestions over and over without the customer consciously recognizing it. The wording is a little different, but it's the same idea.

The Importance of Excellent Sales Skills

Businesses prefer to hire salespeople with certain characteristics and traits because certain skills are associated with a higher rate of success. Managers want to know that their salespeople can work independently, communicate well with others, have the knowledge and experience to sell the products, and will help the company increase profits.

Self-Management Capabilities

Self management is an important skill set to have in sales that is frequently overlooked. Effective salespeople are those who are self-assured, patient, and resilient. Working in sales often entails dealing with a great deal of stress. There will be many ups and downs, and it is critical to remain persistent and focused on the goal. The salesperson will likely fizzle out and fail to live up to his potential if he lacks confidence and perseverance.

Social Skills

A salesperson with poor people skills will not fare well. To effectively sell a product, the seller must be able to identify and communicate with her customers. The following is a list of the upcoming events. The salesperson will be unable to build a trusting relationship with his clients unless he possesses these fundamental interpersonal skills.

Product Knowledge

Nothing is worse than a salesperson attempting to sell you a product about which he is unfamiliar. As a result, it is critical that the salesperson spend time learning about the products she is selling before approaching the customer. If a customer has questions that the salesperson is unable to answer, the likelihood of the customer purchasing the product decreases significantly. Customers prefer to deal with salespeople who are knowledgeable and direct in their approach.

Innovative Thinking

A salesperson who approaches sales from a fresh perspective has an advantage in keeping customers interested. This approach is refreshing to the customer and keeps the salesperson motivated and performing to his full potential. When a salesperson sells the same product for an extended period of time, he naturally begins to fall into a pattern. Customers are put off by robotic-sounding speeches. However, if the salesperson is constantly coming up with new ways to sell the products, the sales pitches will flow more smoothly and the customer will be more likely to listen. This will almost certainly result in a significant increase in sales.

Drastically Improve Your Chances By Practicing These Techniques!

A salesperson is constantly challenged by how to close the deal and which sales techniques to use for which customers. Listen carefully to your customer at the start of the conversation so that you can identify his needs and desires; then, using tried-and-true sales techniques, tailor your sales pitch and closing.

Maintain Focus

Maintain the customer's attention by making your sales pitch as brief and direct as possible in the circumstances and focusing on the customer's benefit. Ask a question after each benefit, such as "How would you use that?" or "Are you with me so far?" You will learn more about the customer's needs and keep him focused on you. Keep an eye out for signs that his concentration is slipping, as this could indicate that you are losing him.

Actively listening

Active listening is the skill of hearing, comprehending, and interpreting another person's speech. It means "reading between the lines" of what your customer is saying in order to identify what he is not saying verbally. Pay close attention to your customer's responses to your questions; if necessary, repeat answers back to him to ensure that you understand correctly.

Examine the Water

When you believe you are on the verge of a sale, use a trial close to put the situation to the test. "Does this seem like the kind of solution you're looking for?" ask the customer; his response gives you the opportunity to explore further and switch angles if you're not on track. I'm sure you've heard that there's a lot of talk these days about how to get a job and how to make a living.

Closing Scripts

Hundreds of closing scripts are sometimes listed in sales books, one or more for almost every conceivable scenario. Standard closing scripts in retail sales, for example, include: admitting the customer is correct, as in "I understand your hesitation over the price, but this is a better quality than you will find anywhere else"; calling the customer's bluff, as in "If I can get it in red, will you take it?"; and offering a choice, as in "So which of these would you prefer?" Most people recognize the "impending doom" close as a sales ploy: "We only have two of those left, so if you want one, you should take it today."

Request the Order

An experienced buyer, particularly in the business-to-business environment, knows whether he is interested in the salesperson's goods or services before meeting with the salesperson. Often, the meeting is merely a formality, with the opportunity to deliver a sales pitch serving only to ensure that the buyer has not overlooked anything and to give the impression that he has other options. In this case, the buyer expects you to ask him for the order at some point; salespeople often find this especially difficult. "May I make out an order for you to sign?" is the ultimate closing script.