Understanding In-Person Sales Techniques

How do you know what's being said, when nothing is being said? Sales relationships demand an environment of mutual communication. Learn how to direct a conversation, how to interpret non-verbal cues and how to get your point across while respecting the communication bias of the target.

Selling is more than closing. Good selling, that promotes solid and repeatable business growth, is dependent upon the ability to influence. Influence requires complete communication, and complete communication takes into account the haptic, proxemic and NVB aspects of an interpersonal interface.

Transcript

1. Today’s Webinar: In-Person Selling Skills Lastar Is A Leading Manufacturer Of Low-Voltage Connectivity And Cabling Solutions Presented To You By: Cables To Go & Quiktron Are Sister Companies Of Lastar
2. Today’s Webinar: In-Person Selling Skills •Established In 1984 •More Than 800 Employees •Award-Winning, Rapidrun www.CablesToGo.com www.Quiktron.com www.RapidRun.com Visit www.Lastar.com For The Complete Story
3. Phones Are Automatically Muted. Questions? 1. Raise Your Hand By Clicking On The “Hand” Icon 2. Use The Chat Function PowerPoint Slides & Recording Are Available: Please send an email to sshomper@lastar.com if you would like a copy of today’s slides or the link to today’s recorded webinar
4. If you’d like to chat or ask questions about this webinar on Twitter, we will be monitoring the conversation in real time, and we will respond to any questions or comments at the end of the webinar. #technothoughts
5. This course qualifies for: 1 AIA-General Learning Unit 1 CTS-Renewal Unit 1 NCSA-Learning Unit 1. At the end of the webinar, a test link will be emailed to you by WebEx 2. You have 1 month to take the test and can take the test up to 2 times 3. You must score 70% or higher to receive your certificate of completion 4. Once we score your test, we will email you a certificate of completion 5. You must submit your certificate to AIA, BICSI, InfoComm, or NCSA to receive your credits 6. You must provide your AIA member number to your host to be eligible for AIA credit. This presentation is for informational purposes only, is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as offering any future product commitments on the part of Lastar, Inc. While significant effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Lastar, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies contained herein.
6. Your Presenter Today is… Joseph Cornwall, CTS, ISF-C, DSCE Technology Evangelist Email - jcornwall@lastar.com Twitter - @JoeCornwall LinkedIn - /in/josephcornwall Today’s Presentation: In-Person Selling Skills
7. Our Agenda • What is “Selling”? – Value, Influence, And Persuasion • Channels Of Communication – Visual – Auditory – Sensory • Bi-Directionality – The Dialog v. The Monologue – The Art Of Listening • Setting Goals – Realistic Expectations Are A Critical Component – Do You Have A Goal For The Target?
8. Define “Selling” • Offering To Exchange Something Of Value For Something Else – The Something Of Value Being Offered May Be Tangible Or Intangible – Buying And Selling Are Understood To Be Two Sides Of The Same "Coin" Or Transaction • The Art Of Sales Is The Art Of Helping The Customer To Buy – Professional Sales Skills Have Nothing To Do With The Item Being Sold! • “Something Of Value” Means Money - Or Does It? ̶ To Excel In A Personal Selling Situation, The Sales Professional Must Understand The Concept Of Value
9. Understanding Value • Value Theory – Understanding How, Why And To What Degree People Should Value Things – An Item Of Value May Be A Person, Idea, Or Object • Began In Ancient Philosophy, Where It Is Called Axiology Or Ethics – Intrinsic Value: The Price Of Goods Or Services Is Not A Function Of Subjective Judgment – Subjective Value: For An Object To Have Value It Must Satisfy Human Wants And Be In Limited Supply
10. So What Are “In-Person Selling Skills”? The Ability Of A Person To Affect The Subjective Valuation Of A Product Or Service By A Target While In The Presence Of, Or While Actively Communicating With, The Target “Every one lives by selling something, whatever be his right to it.” ̶ Robert Louis Stevenson
11. THE ROLE OF INFLUENCE ON IN-PERSON SELLING SKILLS If we are to exchange value for value under conditions we control, then we must understand how and when to apply influence.
12. The Roll Of Influence • What Is Influence? – The Capacity Or Power Of Persons Or Things To Be A Compelling Force On, Or Produce Effects On, The Actions, Behavior, Opinions, Etc., Of Others • Three Varieties Of Social Influence – Compliance Is When People Appear To Agree With Others, But Actually Keep Their Dissenting Opinions Private – Identification Is When People Are Influenced By Someone Who Is Liked And Respected, Such As A Famous Celebrity – Internalization Is When People Accept A Belief Or Behavior And Agree Both Publicly And Privately
13. Influence And The Individual • The Need To Be Right – Informational Social Influence – When A Person Is In A Situation Where They Are Unsure Of The Correct Way To Behave, They Will Often Look To Others For Cues Concerning The Correct Behavior – Especially Effective When Accuracy Is Paramount And Others Are Perceived As Knowledgeable • The Need To Be Liked – Normative Social Influence – The Influence Of Other People That Leads Us To Conform In Order To Be Liked And Accepted By Them
14. Weapons Of Influence • Reciprocity – People Tend To Return A Favor • Commitment And Consistency – Once People Commit To What They Think Is Right, Orally Or In Writing, They Are More Likely To Honor That Commitment • Social Proof – People Will Do Things That They See Other People Are Doing • Authority – People Will Tend To Obey Authority Figures • Liking – People Are Easily Persuaded By Other People Whom They Like • Scarcity – Perceived Scarcity Will Generate Demand
15. COMMUNICATION Communication can be split into two parts -- the message or content to be delivered, and the channel upon which it's transmitted.
16. Refine Your Communication Skills • Be Articulate – Know Your Subject – Eliminate Verbal Pauses – Think Before You Speak – Expand Your Vocabulary ̶ Read, Read And Then Read Some More – Use Real Words ̶ Try To Avoid Slang And Jargon – Use Correct Grammar – Be Concise – Have Patience ̶ Building Professional Selling Skills Is Like Learning To Play A Musical Instrument • Pay Attention To Detail
17. Nonverbal Communication • The Process Of Communication Through Sending And Receiving Wordless Messages – Gestures And Touch (Haptic Communication) – Body Language Or Posture – Facial Expression – Eye Contact • Speech Contains Nonverbal Elements Known As Paralanguage – Voice Quality – Emotion And Speaking Style – Prosodic Features Such As Rhythm, Intonation And Stress – NVC Is Important, Even On A Phone Call!
18. Channels Of Personal Communication • We Have Five Senses, But Only Three Modalities Or Learning Biases ̶ Visual Bias ̶ The Subject Is Most Easily Reached Through Images Or Language Describing images ̶ Visual Learners Can Typically Be identified By The Rich Colors And Visual Patterns With Which They Choose To Surround Themselves ̶ Auditory Bias ̶ The Subject is Most Easily Reached Through Language ̶ Spoken Descriptions And Written Language ̶ Kinesthetic Bias ̶ Experiential Knowledge ̶ Highly Personal And Inclusive Of Taste, Smell And Touch How Many Channels Of Communication Can You Identify In This Picture?
19. Visual Learners Comprise 65% Of The Population • The Power Of Color Stimulates Our Nervous System And Evokes Emotional States – Black: Power Elegance – Red: Passion Excitement Danger – Orange: Vibrant Energy Play – Green: Natural Healthy Plentiful – Blue: Loyal Peaceful Trustworthy ̶ Blue Is The Most Popular And Neutral Color On A Global Scale • Black And Navy Blue Are Considered “Power Colors” • Some Colors May Evoke Bad Reactions – Yellow May Cause Anxiety, Nervousness, Apprehension And Agitation The “Classic” Power Suit
20. Kinesthetic Elements Of NVC In Personal Selling • Proxemic Communication – Informal Space Is The Area Around The Body That Determines Personal Distance Among People – Pay Attention To Where You Position Yourself In Relation To The Target • Mirroring – Improve Rapport By Imitating The Other Person's Physical Positions And Mannerisms – Mirroring Should Be, And Is, A Natural Component Of Relaxed Conversation
21. Haptic Communication • The Power Of Touch, The Handshake ̶ It Is Considered To Be In Poor Taste To Show Dominance With Too Strong A Handshake ̶ Too Weak A Handshake (Sometimes Referred To As A "Limp Fish" Or "Dead Fish" Handshake) Could Also Be Considered Unseemly Due To People Perceiving It As A Sign Of Weakness • Colognes And Perfumes Also “Touch” The Target Of Personal Selling Efforts ̶ Less Is More, But None May Not Be Enough ̶ Real Estate Agents Will Tell Homeowners To Bake Some Cookies A Few Hours Before Showing A Home
22. LOOK AND LISTEN “Where observation is concerned, chance favors only the prepared mind.” ̶ Louis Pasteur
23. The Power Of Observation • People Tell Us What They Want Us To Know, Not What We Need To Know About Them • Only Deliberate Observation Provides The Information We Need To Provide Value To Our Customers • There Are Two Vital Components To Deliberate Observation – Step One - Stop Talking. When Your Mouth Is Closed, Your Ears And Eyes Magically Open Wider. – Step Two - Gather Verbal And Non- verbal Information Without Thinking About It. ̶ Writer Malcolm Gladwell Refers To This Process In His Book Blink As "Thin- slicing."
24. The Dialog Versus The Monologue • When Interacting, People Often Are Not Listening Attentively – Distracted, – Thinking About Other Things – Thinking About What They Are Going To Say Next • Active Listening Requires The Listener To Understand, Interpret, And Evaluate What They Hear – Observe The Speaker's Behavior And Body Language – Paraphrase The Speaker’s Words • If Both Parties Share Full Understanding, An Atmosphere Of Cooperation Can Be Created – Cooperation Is The Foundation Of A Mutually Beneficial Outcome Thomas Gordon, who coined the term "active listening", states "Active listening is certainly not complex. Listeners need only restate, in their own language, their impression of the expression of the sender…”
25. SUCCESS DEPENDS ON PLANNING “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” ̶ Dwight D. Eisenhower
26. Funnel The Meeting To A Goal • What Do You Hope To Accomplish? – Every Sales Touch Must Have A Goal – Often The Goal May Be To Earn Another Meeting! • Outline The “Argument” You Must Make To Lead The Client To Your Goal • Be Prepared To Adapt And Adopt New Goals On The Fly • Evaluate Your Goals From The Target’s Perspective – What Would They Say About Your Goal? • What Goals Might Your Target Have? Are Your Individual Goals Consonant?
27. In Conclusion… • Selling Skills Are Life Skills • Selling Involves Communication • In Personal Selling Situations We Endeavor To Influence The Target Party To Act In A Manner Beneficial To Our Goal • We Influence By Identifying And Reinforcing Value Judgments And Opportunities • Communication Has Both Direct And Non-Verbal Components • Clothing Color And Fashion, Proxemic Positioning, Haptic Feedback And Mirroring Are All Important Elements Of In Person Selling Skills • A Keen Sense Of Observation Is Critical To Maximizing Success • All Selling Efforts Must Be Based On Goals
28. Questions?
29. Thank You!