Chapter 4: Best Communication Practises PDF

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LO1: Communication: It Takes Two Communication: the act of transmitting verbal and nonverbal info and understanding between seller and buyer Face-to-face communication is composed of verbal, vocal and nonverbal communication messages Vocal communication includes: voice quality, pitch, inflection, and pauses Salesperson-Buyer Communication Process Requires Feedback Source: The source of communication (also called the communicator); in our case, it's the salesperson. • Encoding process: The conversion by the salesperson of ideas and concepts into the language and materials used in the sales presentation. • Message: The information conveyed in the sales presentation. • Medium: The form of communication used in the sales presentation and discussion; most frequently words, visual materials, and body language. • Decoding process: Receipt and translation (interpretation) of the information by the receiver (prospective buyer). • Receiver: The person the communication is intended for; in our case, it's the prospect or buyer. • Feedback: Reaction to the communication as transmitted to the sender. This reaction may be verbal, nonverbal, or both. • Noise: Factors that distort communication between buyer and seller. Noise includes barriers to communication, which we discuss later.

LO2: Nonverbal Communication: Watch For It Recognition and analysis of nonverbal communication in sales transactions is relatively new 4 major nonverbal communication channels are the physical space between buyer and seller, appearance, handshake and body language Physical Space Territorial space: preferred distance that humans keep between themselves in certain situations Intimate space of up to a half meter, or about an arm’s length, is the most sensitive zone, since it’s reserved for close friends and loved ones Personal space: closest zone a stranger or business acquaintance is normally allowed to enter Social space: area normally used for a sales presentation Uses a desk to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters or more between buyer and seller Public space: can be used by a salesperson making a presentation to a group of people

Similar to distance between teacher and student in a classroom Space Threats Space threats: situations in which a person threatens to invade another’s spatial territory Space invasion: situation in which one person enters another person’s personal or intimate space

LO3: APPEARANCE Physical appearance and handshake Style hair carefully Look at part-dress as a professional General Appearance and Personal Care Tips • It is always better to be a little overdressed than underdressed. • Always have neatly combed and styled hair. Stick to traditional hair colours. Long, flyaway hair might distract customers; tie it back if you can. • Shoes should always be clean and polished. • Don't apply cologne or perfume before going to meet a customer. Strong scents can be offensive, and some people can have allergic reactions. Deodorant is fine and is, in fact, encouraged. • Keep jewellery to a minimum. Earrings have traditionally been for women only. No other piercings should be visible in most cases. • Tattoos are still frowned upon by some, so highly visible ones should be avoided. • Always wear neatly pressed clothes. • Always keep your vehicle clean in case you have to provide transportation. • Avoid smoking in front of a customer. Avoid carrying the smell of smoke on your clothes. • Be comfortable with yourself but conscious of your image. • It is best not to drink alcohol during business hours. There are few exceptions to this. • Wear minimal make-up and ensure that your nails are trimmed and neat. • Do not chew gum. • Brush your teeth and keep your breath fresh-use breath mints or sprays if you're unsure.

Special Tips for Women • Suits are best, either with skirt or pants, as they add credibility. • Dark suits and solid colours are best. Skirts are fine as long as they are knee length-too much leg is inappropriate in a sales setting. Low-cut shirts and blouses are also to be avoided. • The best materials for a suit are wool, wool blend, linen, or synthetic. Stick with

classic styles and avoid trends. • Long, wool coats are best in winter. Good colours are camel, navy, charcoal, and black • If you attend a casual-dress affair, wear something considered «business casual"; for example, a nice blouse or shirt with a sweater and dress pants. Black is a good colour here. Avoid short skirts. Even when you are away from work, be conscious of how you look; carry the professional image everywhere you go.

Body Language From birth, people learn to communicate their needs, likes, and dislikes through nonverbal Means. The salesperson can learn much from a prospect's raised eyebrow, smile, touch, scowl, or reluctance to make eye contact during a sales presentation. The prospect can communicate with you without uttering a word. An ability to interpret these signals is an invaluable tool to the successful sales professional. The salesperson's skilful use and control of physical actions, gestures, and overall body position also are helpful. Acceptance signals indicate that your buyer is favourably inclined toward you and your presentation. These signals give you the green light to proceed. While this may not end in a sale, at the least the prospect is saying, «I am willing to listen." Common acceptance signals include: ● Body angle: Leaning forward or upright at attention. ● Face: Smiling, pleasant expression, relaxed, eyes examining visual aids, direct eye ● contact, positive voice tones. ● Hands: Relaxed and generally open, perhaps performing business calculations on ● paper, holding on as you attempt to withdraw a product sample or sales materials, ● firm handshake. ● Arms: Relaxed and generally open. ● Legs: Crossed and pointed toward you or uncrossed. Salespeople frequently rely only on facial expressions as indicators of acceptance. This practice may be misleading since buyers may consciously control their facial expressions. Scan each of the five key body areas to verify your interpretation of facial signals. A buyer who increases eye contact, maintains a relaxed position, and exhibits positive facial expressions gives excellent acceptance signals. Acceptance signals indicate that buyers perceive that your product might meet their needs. You have obtained their attention and interest. You are free to continue with your planned sales presentation.

Caution signals should alert you that buyers are either neutral to or skeptical about what you say. Caution signals are indicated by: ● Body angle: Leaning away from you. ● Face: Puzzled, little or no expression, averted eyes or little eye contact, neutral or ● questioning voice tone, saying little, and then only asking a few questions. ● Arms: Crossed, tense. ● Hands: Moving, fidgeting with something, clasped, weak handshake. ● Legs: Moving, crossed away from you. It is important to recognize and adjust to caution signals. First, they indicate blocked communication. Buyers' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding your presentation may cause them to be skeptical, judgmental, or uninterested in your product. They may not recognize that they need your product or that it can benefit them. Even though you may have their attention, they show little interest in or desire for your product. Second, if caution signals are not handled properly, they may evolve into disagreement signals, which cause a communication breakdown and make a sale difficult. Proper handling of caution signals requires that you: ● Adjust to the situation by slowing down or departing from your planned presentation. ● Use open-ended questions to encourage your buyers to talk and express their attitudes and beliefs: 1-Iave you ever needed to measure the efficiency of your workers and ~at do you think about this benefit are examples of open-ended questions. ● Listen carefully to what buyers say, and respond directly. ● Project acceptance signals. Be positive, enthusiastic, and smile. Remember, you are glad to be there to help buyers satisfy their needs. Refrain from projecting caution signals even if a buyer does so. If you project a positive image in this situation, there is greater probability that you will change the situation and make the sale. Disagreement signals tell you to stop the planned presentation immediately and quickly adjust to the situation. Disagreements, or red-light signals, indicate that you are dealing with a person who is becoming uninterested in your product. Anger or hostility may develop if you continue the presentation. Your continuation can cause a buyer to feel an unacceptable level of sales pressure resulting in a complete communication breakdown. Disagreement signals may be indicated by: ● Body angle: Retracted shoulders, leaning away from you, moving the entire body back from you, or wanting to move away.

● Face: Tense, showing anger, wrinkled face and brow, little eye contact, negative voice tones, or suddenly silent. ● Arms: Tense, crossed over chest. ● Hands: Motions of rejection or disapproval, tense and clenched, weak handshake. ● Legs: Crossed and away from you. Handle disagreement signals by trying the following four techniques. First, stop your planned presentation. There is no use in continuing until you have changed disagreement signals into caution or acceptance signals. Second, temporarily reduce or eliminate any pressure on the person to buy or to participate in the conversation. Let the buyer relax as you slowly move back to your presentation. Third, let your buyer know you are aware that something upsetting has occurred. Show that you are there to help, not to sell at any cost. Finally, use direct questions to determine a buyer's attitudes and beliefs, such as, «What do you think of ... ?" or «Have I said something you do not agree with?" Remember to pay attention to nonverbal communication: ● Recognize nonverbal signals. ● Be able to interpret them correctly. ● Be prepared to alter a selling strategy by slowing, changing, or stopping a planned presentation. ● Respond nonverbally and verbally to a buyer's nonverbal signals.

LO4: BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION 1. Differences in perception: If the buyer and seller do not share a common understanding of information contained in the presentation, communication breaks down. The closer a buyer's and seller's perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs, the stronger communication will be between them. Cultural differences are easily misperceived by buyers and sellers. 2. Buyer does not recognize a need for product: Communication barriers exist if the salesperson is unable to convince the buyer of a need or that the salesperson represents the best supplier to buy from. 3. Selling pressure: There is a fine line between what is acceptable sales pressure or enthusiasm and what the buyer perceives as a high-pressure sales technique. A pushy, arrogant selling style can quickly cause the prospect to erect a communication barrier.

4. Information overload: You may present the buyer with an excess of information. This overload may cause confusion or perhaps offend, and the buyer will stop listening. The engineer making a presentation to a buyer who is not an engineer may concentrate on the technical aspects of a product, but the buyer may want only a small amount of information. 5. Disorganized sales presentation: Sales presentations that seem unorganized to the buyer tend to cause frustration or anger. Buyers commonly expect you to understand their needs or problems, and to customize your sales presentation to their individual situation. If you fail to do this, communication can fall apart. 6. Distractions: When a buyer receives a telephone call or someone walks into the office, these are distractions. A buyer's thoughts may become sidetracked, and it may be difficult to regain attention and interest. 7. Poor listening: At times, the buyer may not listen to you. This result often occurs if you do all or most of the talking, not allowing the buyer to participate in the Conversation. 8. Not adapting to buyer's style: Salespeople who prefer talking to showing should keep in mind that clients may instead prefer to see the product. It is critical for salespeople to use different communication styles for different clients, as discussed in Chapter 3. Most successful salespeople have learned to match their customers' communication styles.

LO5: MASTER PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION TO MAINTAIN CONTROL Salespeople want to be good communicators to persuade people to purchase their products. Persuasion means the ability to change a person's belief, position, or course of action.

Feedback Guides Your Presentation ● ● ● ●

Learn how to generate feedback to determine whether your listener has received your intended message. Feedback refers to a recognizable response from the buyer. A shake of the head, a frown, or an effort to say something are all signals to the

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salesperson. If the salesperson fails to notice or respond to these signals, no feedback can occur, which means faulty or incomplete communication. Often, feedback must be sought openly because the prospect does not always give it voluntarily. By interjecting questions into the presentation that require the customer to give a particular response, you can stimulate feedback. Questioning, sometimes called probing, allows the salesperson to determine the buyer's attitude toward the sales presentation. A large communications firm included this type of feedback in its training sessions. The company's sales trainers suggested to their trainees that they use specific questions in their presentations.

Some of the questions were: • Do you think you are paying too much for telecommunications services? • Are you happy with the service you have now? • Are you happy with the system that your present supplier has installed for your company?

These questions were intended to draw negative responses from the customers concerning the relationship with their present supplier. The questions provided the company's sales representatives with a method of determining how the prospect felt about the competitor. The responses allowed the salespeople to discuss the specific features, advantages, and benefits of their products relative to the competition.

Empathy Puts You in Your Customer's Shoes Empathy is the ability to identify and understand another person's feelings, ideas, and situation. As a salesperson, you need to be interested in what the buyer is saying-not just in giving a sales presentation. Many of the barriers to communication mentioned earlier can be overcome when you place yourself in the buyer's shoes. Empathy is saying to a prospect, «I'm here to help you," or, «Tell me your problems and needs so I can help you." Empathy is also evidenced by a salesperson's display of sincerity and interest in the buyer's situation. Empathy means acknowledging at times that a prospect may not need your product.

Keep It Simple An overly complex, technical presentation should be avoided when it is unnecessary. Use words and materials that are understood easily by the buyer. The skilled salesperson can make a prospect feel comfortable with a new product or complex

technology through the subtle use of non-technical information and a respectful attitude.

Creating Mutual Trust Develops Friendship Salespeople who develop a mutual, trusting relationship with their customers cannot help being successful. This type of relationship eventually results in high credibility for the salesperson and even friendship. The buyer appreciates being sold products that perform to expectations and were worth their price, and that the salesperson did everything promised. Building mutual trust is important to effective long run communication

LO6: COMMUNICATION STYLE Visual learners like to see things. Providing a simple graph outlining the performance results of your product versus the competition would be far more useful than simply saying, «Ours is better." Kinesthetic learners prefer to touch and do things. Bringing in a product sample and allowing them to handle it and use it would be a very effective way of proving your product's benefits. Auditory learners like to listen. A simple verbal presentation will communicate your message. Communication Style Flexing Communication style flexing occurs when a salesperson adapts their own communication style to the needs of others. When making presentations, it is imperative that you make an effort to determine the communication style of the person or people you are presenting to by observing and listening carefully. (See Exhibit 4-8.) Be prepared to communicate using a variety of communication tools. Visuals, demonstrations, prospect involvement, and clear, concise language will ensure that you meet the needs of all buyers in a group.

LO7: NETIQUETTE FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS Because email doesn't allow the reader to interpret body gestures and facial expressions or tone qualities in the voice, it is imperative that email communication be constructed carefully to achieve the desired effect. Services such as ToneCheckTM by Lymbix (tonecheck.com) allow you to have an email message checked for unintended negative emotion or tone before you send it to an unsuspecting prospect or customer. When salespeople communicate by letter, they typically follow certain rules of etiquette, including guidelines for formatting the letter and addressing the recipient.

When communicating by email, you need to follow a similar set of rules, often referred to as «netiquette." Netiquette can enhance the effectiveness of your email communication-just as not following it can result in very poor customer perception and relationships. When you compose an email message, you control three elements of that communication: 1. The subject line, which describes the content of the message. 2. The message body, which is the text that makes up the main part of the message. 3. The signature, which is the equivalent of a business card that tells the reader who you are, what you do, and where to find you.

The Subject Line The subject line is scanned by recipients to determine whether they will open, delete, or forward your email. Composing effective subject lines is an imperative skill for salespeople. Your subject line: • Should accurately convey what the message is about • Should be no more than four to six words • Should not «shout" by using all capital letters • Should not seem too aggressive or obviously sales oriented: «Super offer just for you!" • Should be worded so the message is not perceived as spam • Should be inviting: «Can we meet on Thursday?" or «Some thoughts on improving your productivity"

The Message Body If you're contacting someone cold, you may want to include some identification early in the message body so that the recipient has an understanding of the context of the message. Your message body • Should include a greeting or salutation that is friendly but businesslike • Should convey information effectively and concisely • Should not take too much of the recipient's time or technical resources due to excessive length or file size • Should be sent in plain text, which is most universal (H1ML formatting may result in the recipient's not being able to read the message) • Should not include information that would be better communicated using a different medium, such as a phone call or a link to a web page • Should not offend the reader • Should address all the points or answer all the questions in the original message, if it is a reply

The Signature

• Should be included in every message • Should contain all the information the reader needs about you: your name, title, company name, company URL, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, You may want to consider using a tag-line that is part of your company's brand, such as, «Service is Job One." • Should be complete and up to date. Salespeople must construct their email communication carefully and manage it effectively. • Respond promptly to messages to confirm that the email was received. • Organi...