The necessary skill sets required to carry out effective sales communication operations December 27, 2017

It is fair to say knowing how to communicate well is a minimum requirement in sales. If you can't talk with people and get them to open up and share information with you, you're going to struggle to sell anything.

If even a small part of your job involves sales, then you probably already know how vital good communication is to your success. It is crucial to stress the following:

‘Selling is about persuasion, and you can’t be persuasive unless you’re a good communicator’.

Great salespeople have the ability to speak well and to convey their ideas and their solutions. This ability in great salespeople is never exercised until they have exercised the even greater communication skill of listening first, because it proves they care. Practice these ideas to improve your communication skills.

We have put together some necessary sales communication skills required to carry out effective sales operations:

Listen

When meeting with a prospect, remember there are two parties and that communication should go in both directions. Don’t just talk (and risk talking yourself out of a sale), listen – and listen so well that the prospect feels understood and heard. Even if a prospect is reluctant to talk, ask questions or encourage general feedback. Be an active listener by being invested in the conversation – nod your head, make little comments, like “I see”, “alright”, “oh interesting point”, or ask questions to be engaged and show them you want to know more.

Body language

Research shows that more than half of all communication is non-verbal. And when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Every hand gesture, every furrowed brow, every smile, and every change of vocal intonation sends a signal to the person you’re speaking to. It’s all communication.

A salesperson can gain an advantage by reading body language. Interpreting how long a customer glances at a part of the presentation, how wide pupils dilate to show interest, whether the torso is pointing in a direction that shows agreement or if the prospect is signaling openness through gestures can all improve sales potential.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share feelings is a very important part of being human. Mirror neurons are specialised neurons that respond to the actions we observe in others. They cause us to experience the emotion that someone else experiences, which allows us to have empathy with others.

People want to be understood. If you can communicate that you understand the person you’re speaking to, you develop common ground. Common ground is the best foundation to address problems and challenges, you must be empathetic to connect with your client.

Not only does being empathetic make you more likable, it also increases your chances of closing a deal. When you can draw on your knowledge of your clients’ actual day-to-day, you’re better equipped to understand what they care about, which makes it more likely you’ll be able to help them.

Clarity

What you communicate is not what you say but what the other person perceives. Our intended message is often lost or misunderstood in sales communication. Whatever the other person hears and understands is what is actually being communicated.

Clarity is all about being precise and getting your attention in line with what the other person perceives. Listen to yourself as you are the other person to optimize your clarity.

Be prepared

What does it take to put all of the above communication skills together in one great sales pitch? Preparation.

Being prepared means knowing your products, knowing as much about your customer or audience as possible, and knowing your script if you’re using one. Being prepared also means you don’t have to worry about how your pitch will go – because you’ve practiced in advance.

Looking for sales training courses? Give TFE a call and find out more about or sales training programs.