Showing posts with label Business presentations Conference Presentation skills training Public. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business presentations Conference Presentation skills training Public. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Sales Skills - 3 Questions To Ask Each Lead To Verify If They Are Worth Your Time
Your goal is to not to spend time with leads, but to spend time with great prospects
To do this, you have to qualify your leads faster to give you the time you need to spend with the high-value prospects.
Too many salespeople take a “go slow” approach when it comes to leads
The feeling is they don’t want to do anything to disrupt the lead, but in going so slow, they wind up losing the lead.
We at EC are frequently asked when speaking and teaching on sales prospecting about what is a good approach to use.
The approach we've taught and used for years is what we refer to as the “industry problem” technique.
We like this approach because it’s comprised of 3 questions that can be asked during the first conversation with the lead. It’s a direct approach, yet not threatening. Both the salesperson and lead will feel comfortable.
The “industry problem” technique is built around first asking the lead about a problem the industry in which they operate is facing. An example someone might use if they sell labor services of some type:
“What are the issues your industry is facing with regard to finding enough qualified labor?”
The question is broad and not directed at the company where the lead works. You’re asking it solely to engage the prospect and to begin getting their opinion out on the table.
The second question builds off the first:
“How has your company been dealing with this issue?”
You can alter the question to include some of the comments made by the lead from the first question. Now, here comes the third question which is the one that really opens up the door for you:
“What impact has the shortage of qualified labor had on your business and on your job?”
The answer to this question is really the one you are looking for, because if you provide labor, you want to know if this is an issue and, in particular, how big of an issue it is.
By asking the questions in this order, you’re able to get information you need faster
Some might be saying why not ask the 3rd question first, and the response is you need the first two questions to understand the context of the 3rd.
Even more significant than that is by asking the questions in the above order allows the lead to see you as a bigger thinker than merely a salesperson looking for a quick sale.
All the best with your sales!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference Presentation skills training Public,
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Communication Skills - So What If I Speak Fast
A lot of us speak quickly when we are on the phone with our customers or clients
Sometimes it is because we have so many calls in cue or because we feel pressured to get on to the next call. Whatever the case, it is a habit that can cost us business.
Why?
When we speak too quickly, customers can assume that you are just making a perfunctory call. You really don't care. Someone told you to call and query him or her. They can also feel that you are trying to pull something or that you are giving them the "bum's rush." It can make them angry.
Problems that speaking quickly can cause
When you speak quickly, it affects other vocal issues. For example, speed affects the clarity of your words. Literally, the lips, teeth and tongue can't get into the right position in your mouth.
Customers expect to hear the words as they learned them. If you are slipping over syllables or eliminating them all together, customers start focusing on what you just said, versus what you are currently saying. They feel like they are translating a foreign language. It affects comprehension. Also, if any of your customers are not native born, English-speakers, it may be difficult for them to make any sense out of what you are saying.
Speaking quickly also affects the tone of your voice. It is impossible to sound friendly, sincere or empathetic without pausing. Your voice may even be a monotone. If the voice is a monotone, the customer concludes you are disinterested. Who wants to do business with someone who is disinterested?
Ways to slow down
First, you should get yourself into the mind set that when you are at work; you need to put on you "cash voice," the voice that earns you a living. On-air personalities speak a lot slower on television than they do when they are with friends and family. They know that if they speak quickly, viewers will be complaining, and they will lose their jobs. What on-air personalities learn is the value of pausing. In fact, they pause a lot. They pause not only at the end of sentences and clauses, but whenever they want to emphasize a point or idea. They know that they more they pause, the more their listeners understand.
To get comfortable pausing, use your voice mail system to give you feedback. When you send internal voice mail messages, press "review" before you press "send." If you hear yourself speaking quickly, redo the message until you are satisfied.
Get feedback from family members when you are at home. Ask them to tell you to pause more or to remind you that you are mumbling. Fast talkers also mumble.
If you have a child, read out loud to your child. Children demand that you really get into the story. They will tell you to slow down because they want to enjoy the story. As you drive down the street, use your car as a laboratory. Say out loud what you are seeing and over-enunciate each word. No one will hear you. Over-enunciating will get you used to saying every syllable in the word.
While speaking quickly is a habit, it is not a habit that helps you to develop relationships with your customers. The more you pause, the more they feel you care. The less likely they are to become upset.
A one or two second pause can make a huge difference. Put on your "cash" voice and see what a difference it will make.
All the best with your communications!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference Presentation skills training Public,
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentati
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Sales Skills - 10 Best Sales Questions to Use When Talking with a Prospect
One of the best things any salesperson can do is develop a list of 10 questions they feel comfortable asking.
The questions have to fit your personality and your market and allow you to move the process forward.
Below are 10 of the best sales questions you can use. The questions are not direct closing questions, but rather questions that will get the prospect to share more information to help you focus on the solution the prospect desires.
Not each question will be appropriate for every occasion. The critical issue is to be comfortable asking them so when the situation is right, you’re also ready:
1. Why?
2. Can you tell me more about...?
3. How have you made decisions like this in the past?
4. What is the outcome you’re looking for?
5. What is the size of the risk if you don’t make a decision?
6. What are the issues you’re facing today?
7. What happens if you don’t make a decision to invest?
8. Who else is involved in the decision making process?
9. What is it you like best about what we’ve been talking about?
10. What is stopping you from making a decision?
Each of the questions is designed to get the prospect to share more and to allow you to then ask a follow up question on what they just shared with you. Questions one and two are specifically designed to do just that.
The more we engage the prospect with questions in a way that allows us to use our personality, the more comfortable the prospect will be in answering. It’s when we ask questions that come across as scripted or threatening the customer will shut down.
Use these 10 questions as a starter for you, and over the coming weeks modify them to fit your personality and style. You’ll find yourself being far more effective in getting the prospect to open up.
Posted in
Business presentations Presentation skills training Sales presentations,
Business presentations Conference Presentation skills training Public
by effectivecommunication.com.au
