Showing posts with label sales coaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sales coaching. Show all posts
Monday, November 4, 2013
Become an Extraordinary Business Communicator
People who are
extraordinary communicators and presenters don't start out that way!!!
These people work at getting better. They take communicating effectively seriously. They practice. They learn the When, Where, How & Why to improving the way they communicate.
WHEN
People who are fabulous communicators and presenters do what Tiger Woods does with golf - they work at perfecting their core communication game on a daily basis. They are always practicing or modifying some skill. They never say "I am good enough."
WHERE
Great communicators and presenters use every opportunity to practice their communication skills. They practice first in low stakes situations, like in emails, reports, round table meetings, trade shows, ‘lunch & learns,’ or conversations with one's peers.
They also practice off the job- in restaurants, at parties, at weddings or around the kitchen table. They don't wait for formal presentations. By the time a high stakes presentation comes up, they feel ready because they have been practicing all along.
HOW
First, serious learners get feedback, either from a communication's coach, their manager, or their peers.
Some join organisations, like Toastmasters or take a communication / presentation skills course with the express purpose of understanding what they do well and what needs improvement. Once they understand their strengths and weaknesses, they set realistic goals. Then, they tackle one skill at a time until it becomes second nature for them. They do not try to correct everything at once.
Maxwell Maltz says it takes “21 days to change a habit”. A lot of what we do when communicating is based on habit. Since some habits negatively affect people's perception of a speaker's credibility, it is important to change those things that undercut one's impact and to work on improvement on a daily, even hourly basis, for 21 days or longer.
To be perceived as a powerful business communicator and presenter a speaker must demonstrate both composure and energy. The skills for composure are:
- Posture
- Eye Contact
- Pausing
The skills for energy are:
- Movement
- Gestures
- Vocal Variety
- Facial Animation
To practice the composure skill of posture, notice your posture whenever you see
yourself in a mirror. If one shoulder is higher than another, you are not
balancing your weight. Also, notice your arms when at rest. Do they rest at
your sides, in your pockets or on your hips? Are they crossed on your chest?
The goal with posture is to look confident, but also approachable.
Each time you walk in front of a mirror or see your reflection in a window, correct your posture until you feel people will see you in a positive light. This is the first way you communicate with your audience.
Eye contact is easy to practice since you can do it anywhere. The thing to remember is that you want the eye contact to be sustained, not fleeting. You want people to feel you are talking just to them so practice by looking at an individual for a full sentence or thought. Do not try to include everyone at once by giving people a quick glance.
You can keep tabs on how you are pausing through your own voice mail system. Play back messages before you send them. Listen for non-words, speed and diction. Pay attention to how clearly and concisely you stated your message.
When you present an idea to people, their expectation is that you truly believe in it and are excited to share what you know.
To convey enthusiasm, it is important that a speaker gesture to emphasize ideas and help listeners to "see" it. If the speaker has the opportunity to stand up, movement sends an additional message as to how important the idea is.
When a speaker is moving and gesturing, he becomes real and demonstrates conviction. Moreover, when the speaker is gesturing and moving, the face lights up and the voice has a certain sparkle.
The best way for speakers to get feedback on the energy skills is by periodically videotaping themselves and noticing what they observe when reviewing the tape. Are the gestures repetitive, overdone, or too controlled? Does the movement seem purposeful and tied to a pair of eyes? Is the voice interesting or flat?
WHY
The answer to why one should get better at communicating is simple. It is the number one skill for business people today. It is essential for anyone who wants to move up the corporate ladder.
To be considered a good leader, one must be able to communicate effectively with senior level managers, one's peers and one's direct reports. Without clearly communicating the message, projects get scuttled, opportunities are overlooked and wrong decisions are made, costing the company market shares and profits. With "ordinary" communication skills, one's career stagnates.
Bottom line... To join the ranks of extraordinary communicators and presenters, be a continuous learner. Dedicate yourself to perfection. Pay attention to the many opportunities you have for growth.
Each time you walk in front of a mirror or see your reflection in a window, correct your posture until you feel people will see you in a positive light. This is the first way you communicate with your audience.
Eye contact is easy to practice since you can do it anywhere. The thing to remember is that you want the eye contact to be sustained, not fleeting. You want people to feel you are talking just to them so practice by looking at an individual for a full sentence or thought. Do not try to include everyone at once by giving people a quick glance.
You can keep tabs on how you are pausing through your own voice mail system. Play back messages before you send them. Listen for non-words, speed and diction. Pay attention to how clearly and concisely you stated your message.
When you present an idea to people, their expectation is that you truly believe in it and are excited to share what you know.
To convey enthusiasm, it is important that a speaker gesture to emphasize ideas and help listeners to "see" it. If the speaker has the opportunity to stand up, movement sends an additional message as to how important the idea is.
When a speaker is moving and gesturing, he becomes real and demonstrates conviction. Moreover, when the speaker is gesturing and moving, the face lights up and the voice has a certain sparkle.
The best way for speakers to get feedback on the energy skills is by periodically videotaping themselves and noticing what they observe when reviewing the tape. Are the gestures repetitive, overdone, or too controlled? Does the movement seem purposeful and tied to a pair of eyes? Is the voice interesting or flat?
WHY
The answer to why one should get better at communicating is simple. It is the number one skill for business people today. It is essential for anyone who wants to move up the corporate ladder.
To be considered a good leader, one must be able to communicate effectively with senior level managers, one's peers and one's direct reports. Without clearly communicating the message, projects get scuttled, opportunities are overlooked and wrong decisions are made, costing the company market shares and profits. With "ordinary" communication skills, one's career stagnates.
Bottom line... To join the ranks of extraordinary communicators and presenters, be a continuous learner. Dedicate yourself to perfection. Pay attention to the many opportunities you have for growth.
All the best with your future business communications
Posted in
Presentation Training,
Public speaking,
public speaking training,
sales coaching,
Sales presentations,
Sales Training
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
What Is Your Flight Plan For Business Growth - Part 4
How To
Increase Your Number Of Sales Per Client
Stock Brokers offer occasional initial public offerings (IPOs) to select clients.
Clothing
stores offer "by invitation only" events for preferred clients
Auction houses
offer "by invitation only" events for preferred clients
Jewelry stores
offer "by invitation only" events for preferred clients
Airlines offer
frequent flyer points reflecting the number of times traveled or distances
traveled with them.
Miles
Laboratories published a small cookbook filled exclusively with spicy recipes,
and then gave the book away for free. Why? Miles Laboratories is the maker of
Alka-Seltzer, an antacid digestive pain reliever.
How many
consumer retail stores now offer loyalty cards i.e. 'Buy 9 and gain your 10th
free" etc.
These are not
just random, unrelated business-increasing anecdotes. Each example represents a
well thought out, documented, income increasing principle or leveraging
strategy.
Now you might
be thinking, "My business responsibilities don't include clients and
selling. I'm in the accounting / human resource / quality control / production
department".
Think again
because the fact is, everyone is in sales!!!
Whatever area
you work in and are responsible for, you do have "clients" and you do
need to influence and "sell".
Think within
your organisation. Typically referred to as internal clients / stakeholders,
who might include the head of your department who you might need to influence
and sell towards your project, your proposal, your promotion, your perspective,
your value, or your pay rise.
Your internal
clients might also be those who work under you, and you need to influence and
sell them towards giving their best, meeting a deadline, thinking out of the box
etc.
Your internal
clients might also be people in other departments who could aid you etc.
Think external
to your organisation. How many vendors, complimentary companies or future
employees do you have to influence and sell to?
When you read
the phrase "selling your product or service", don't just think in
terms of products and services your company sells. In addition, think of your
individual and intangible personal product or service, yes - YOU!!!
You will need
to influence and sell to others your ideas in order to advance your career,
gain more respect and increase your success and income.
All the
success strategies EffectiveCommunication.com.au
shares with you are designed to raise you above your competition. If you work
for a company, you have your company's competition to contend with. You also
have your personal competition - the person down the corridor who you are
competing with for your next big promotion. Or the person who just sent their
resume to Human Resources because they want your job.
Look out for
our future success strategies, which will help you to better influence and make
that sale.
All the best with your business!
If you would like to discuss how to improve your organisations capability in the areas of Leadership, Communication, Presentation & Sales then simply contact us for a complimentary, no obligation conversation.
Go to www.EffectiveCommunication.com.au to find out more
Posted in
communication coaching,
Communication Training,
Leadership,
Leadership coaching,
presentation coaching,
Presentation Training,
public speaking training,
sales coaching,
Sales Training,
Training
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
WHAT IS YOUR FLIGHT PLAN FOR BUSINESS GROWTH? - Part 2
How To
Increase Your Number Of Clients
It is interesting how many companies when income curves become stagnant tend to whip sales & account management teams to do more of the same, when better incentives might be the simple solution.
For example, a company experiencing income stagnation applied a compensation program that paid the sales person 10% of the profit per sale. So when a $1,000 sale was made the company retained $900 whilst the sales person was compensated with $100.
Upon consultation the company calculated the following 3 simple questions:
- Average worth of
first purchase from new client?
- Average number of
times new client will purchase in the first year?
- Average number of
years client will continue to purchase?
The company responded...
- Average profit of
$200 for each new client first purchase of which the company kept $180
& compensated the salesperson with $20
- Average number of
purchases per year was 5
- Average number of
years new client continued to purchase was 3
Based on this the company accumulated approximately $3,000 profit over the average lifetime of a new client of which the company kept $2,700 and compensated the salesperson with $300.
Upon further consultation, the company was advised to:
- Compensate the salesperson with
100% of the profit from every first sale they produce
- Compensate salesperson with 10%
of every ongoing purchase from new client
- 10% ongoing compensation to
continue ONLY if salesperson maintained new client to continue average
purchases (5 x per year over 3 years)
What do you think happened?
First, the salesperson was compensated $200 instead of $20 for every new clients sale therefore, the sales team was 9 x more motivated
Second, the life time value of each new client was worth approximately $3,000 therefore, with this strategy the company now keeps $2,520 and compensates the salesperson with $480
Ultimately, with the sales team greater motivated, the company TRIPLED it's number of new clients in only 9 months!!!
Evidently there are many additional ways to increase your number of clients and so, look out for our next newsletters.
All the best with your business!
If you would like to discuss how to improve your organisations capability in the areas of Leadership, Communication, Presentation & Sales then simply contact us for a complimentary, no obligation conversation.
Go to www.EffectiveCommunication.com.au to find out more
Posted in
communication coaching,
Communication Training,
Leadership,
Leadership coaching,
presentation coaching,
Presentation Training,
sales coaching,
Sales Training,
Training
by effectivecommunication.com.au
