Grow Your Training Business

Why I Love "Busines Casual" for Salespeople

There are plenty of reasons for salespeople to ditch the suits and ties. They can save time getting dressed in the morning, save money on dry cleaning and purchases of expensive suits (and plus ties and matching dress shoes), will be more in alignment with many of their customers who have also adopted a more casual manner of dress, and reduce their stress while driving and drinking coffee – a spill on your JC Penney button down isn't nearly as noticeable as a coffee stain on a crisp white dress shirt.

The bottom line is that business casual is easier, which is exactly why I love it. Because it gives me one more way to differentiate myself from almost every other salesperson.

We are all working in a complex and competitive business environment where it is increasingly difficult to differentiate ourselves and our products or services. So we should take advantage of any opportunity we have to create a true distinction in the minds of our customers, coworkers and business leaders. And "business casual" creates such an opportunity.

In my business there was a corporate shift toward business casual years ago. Everyone from the CEO down made the shift. Most of our customers have also transitioned toward a more casual manner of dress, as have most of the competitor salespeople calling on these customers. It seems as if virtually everyone in my world has made the transition.

Everyone except me.

I consciously decided that I was going to differentiate myself with customers and also within my organization by resisting the trend toward more casual dress. I wear a suit and tie to work every day, while everyone else looks like an advertisement for Dockers. And over the years I have noticed several things that validate my initial decision and keep me "dressing up" every business day. First I have seen how easy it is for "business casual" to evolve into "business sloppy." See the illustration to the right. Business casual shirts and pants don't HAVE to be pressed, so most are not. Over time, I have seen most business casual work environments grow more and more casual until everyone achieves the same (low) standard of dress.

I was amazed to attend a national sales meeting for a global billion dollar company recently where every presenter, from the CEO down to front line product marketers, was dressed casually with wrinkled shirts, loose fitting sweaters (to hide the wrinkles I'm sure), scuffed shoes, khaki pants and jeans. They were quite proud of their "commitment to comfort" but I also noticed that other elements of the meeting were equally casual – the presentations weren't as "crisp" as they used to be, the messaging wasn't as sharp, the conference materials were sloppy and confusing, etc.

In a study by research psychologist Jeffry L. Magee, it was shown that when employees were polled, they reported that they were happier with a casual dress policy. It is seen as an employee perk. However, management noted increased absenteeism and tardiness among employees once the casual dress policy began. It is generally agreed that over the long haul, productivity decreases. One research psychologist noted, "Continually relaxed dress leads to relaxed manners, relaxed morals and relaxed productivity." He also noted that relaxed dress led to an increase in litigation.

Yet another study tried "Casual Monday" and "Casual Wednesday" in an effort to determine if productivity went down 30 percent on Fridays because of casual attire or because employees were simply "winding down" in anticipation of the weekend. Turns out that productivity went down 30 percent on any day of the week where casual attire was permitted.

So from both a factual data-driven perspective and as part of my personal marketing and self-promotion approach, I have decided to resist the business casual trend. My customers notice. And when they make comments like "go ahead, you can loosen up here," or "we're business casual so you don't have to dress up when you call on me here," I respond by telling them that I take their business seriously and the suit is just a reflection of my respect for them. I also tell them that for some reason I just seem to get more work done when I am wearing a suit and tie. Even my most casual customers have come to accept (and more importantly, respect) my professional commitment.

Internally within my business I do occasionally take some heat ("What are you doing, trying to suck up?" or "Loosen up man, you're making the rest of us look bad.") but the commitment has clearly helped my career progress. And lately I've noticed a few others beginning to wear ties and polish their shoes. So maybe I'm driving a small counter-trend, but I hope not. Because if I do, I'll lose the differentiation element.

So please, go ahead and keep your Dockers, throw away your ties, and never, ever polish your shoes. Especially if you working within my company or compete against me in sales.

Is "Word of Mouth" Enough?

 Last year I met a (relatively) young man who had just launched his own independent sales training business. He had lost his job as the lead sales trainer for a large local company and decided that now was the time to finally pursue a long-held dream of owning his own company.

His first client was his previous employer. His second was a company owned by a friend of a friend. Only a month into his new life, he was feeling pretty good. When I asked about his marketing strategy to acquire additional clients he smiled and said "word of mouth, that's the key."  He had talked to a number of other independent training professionals in the area who had all built successful businesses (decades ago) and many had horror stories of the money and time they wasted on marketing and promotions.-their advice to him was simply "word of mouth, that's the key."

Recently I caught up with the intrepid entrepreneur to ask how things were going, and it was clear that he had been struggling. His first two clients had faded away, and he was barely getting by with a string of short-term speaking and training engagements. Feedback from his clients was exceptionally positive; they all loved his work and were more than willing to "spread the word." But the word just didn't seem to be enough.

And I think that is the experience of many in the corporate training business today. While it is great to have enthusiastic clients who are willing to tell others how wonderful you are, it just isn't enough to sustain a business. Especially if you are just starting out.

At the same time I would hesitate to reccomend spending significant time or money on traditional advertising and marketing strategies. When your funds are limited and the economy is exceptionally tight, you have to leverage the one thing you have that no one else does: your creative mind.

Start with the question: Are there, right now, organizations and individuals in your market who would benefit greatly (in a tangible, measurable way) from your training services? And would they benefit to such a degree that it would make sense for them to PAY you for your services? Remember, when money is tight, a business needs to justify every dollar spent. So if you were the client business, would you realistically be willing to pay for the type of training that you - the trainer - are providing?

Think about these questions carefully. I know too many people who are struggling to selling soft, mushy, feel good training that "empowers" people and "engages" employees.  And when I suggest that they consider something a little more tangible (sales, negotiation, telephone skills, customer service, etc.) they turn up their nose. That stuff is boring to them. But... it is not boring to their prospective clients.

So the first thing to do is think clearly about the training services you are offering. And whether or not they are the right services for the times were are living in today. If not, make a change (more about this in a later posting).

Assuming you are providing a compelling training service that produces tangible value for your client organizations, the next question is - where is your PROOF? Not referrals, not just testimonials, but actual cold hard PROOF that you can deliver that value you are talking about? In today's world everyone is talking a good game. What will truly separate you from the thundering herd of average desperate trainers is solid, tangible evidence. 

Write three brief case studies of your most successful client engagements. Describe the initial situation, your training solution, and the ultimate outcome in terms of tangible business results. Get quotes from your clients to back up everything you are saying.

If you want to know how to structure a good marketing case study pick up a copy of the Harvard Business Review and emulate their caste study structure. Except that you want to use fewer words and more graphs.

Click here for several good examples of marketing case studies. The key is to build a rock solid, bullet proof case that you absolutely can produce the results you are talking about. Then build another. And another. I'm not totally sure why but in my own experience, presenting a single case study to a prospect is interesting and effective, but presenting three case studies is far more powerful.

So let's assume you have amassed the evidence you need. Now what? Pick the prospect organizations you want to work with (more about this in a later post as well) and start at the top. Call the CEO, the President, the Executive Director - whoever is ultimately in charge. Lead with the OUTCOMES and RESULTS you have produced for others and ask for a BRIEF conversation to determine if this organization would benefit from the same OUTCOMES. 

"Mr. Jones, I was hoping to talk to you for just a few minutes about how I worked with Dunbar Corporate and two other local companies to reduce unplanned employee turnover by 12% and increase employee job satisfaction scores by more than 20%, even as their benefits packages were being scaled back. Would you have time for a brief conversation to talk about how we did that?"

This approach - starting at the top of the corporate food chain, leading with compelling RESULTS (that you can back up with tangible evidence) and asking for just a brief conversation to talk about how you did it - will almost always get you either a meeting (or telephone conversation) with the top person, or they will refer you down the food chain to someone else.

Now of course you have to convert that first conversation into a second, deeper discussion. More about that in the next post...

Dealing with Difficult Customers

The difficult customer. Don’t they just make your blood boil!? In a recent research study, 65% of service employees listed “rude and impatient customers” among their top ten causes of work-related stress. Three particular types of customers were cited as being most difficult to deal with:

• Never satisfied. The customer who complains constantly, is harshly or tactlessly critical. Nothing is adequate, and they continuously  verbalize negativity or dissatisfaction.
• Always angry. Moody, edgy, hostile, or aggressive, even when they’re not upset about anything in particular.
• Verbally Compulsive. Overly talkative customers who want to "process" everything verbally, at length, even when it’s obvious that there is work to be done and other customers to be served.

There is no doubt that working with these types of customers can be maddening at times. But in reality, most businesses and employees should learn to APPRECIATE these customers, because as difficult as they are, at least you know they’re having problems. The vast majority of customers (the one’s we love) never complain, even if they are dissatisfied. So there may be issues you never address because you don’t know they exist.

Here are a few facts that may cause you to re-think your attitude toward difficult customers. Most of the time, when people have a complaint, they complain to everyone else rather than the organization or individuals who caused the complaint. A few years ago there was a study commissioned by the White House Office of Consumer Affairs. The group that performed the study, TARP, the Technical Assistance Research Program, found that in an average business, 96% of people who are dissatisfied DON’T complain directly. So for every 25 dissatisfied customers, you’re only hearing from one. What do the other 24 do? They complain to their friends, family, neighbors, business acquaintances. Not only do these passive dissatisfied customers never come back to you, but ultimately they cause many others to never do business with you in the first place.

So as frustrating as the difficult customer can be, it may help to think of them as the “Canary in the coal mine” to help you detect customer service challenges (rather than odorless gas) you may have been unaware of. And if anything, you want to encourage more customers to verbalize their dissatisfaction, not less.

How do you make certain you’re hearing from as many dissatisfied customers as possible? Well, you have to ask. It’s really that simple. Call them up or ask them in person. Actively solicit feedback to find out what they are thinking. No one is perfect. No organization is perfect. But all can strive for perfection by finding out where their imperfections might be. Ask the customer, and they will tell you. If you don't ask, you may never know.

So let’s assume that you DO ask, and discover that a customer has a complaint. Or you don’t have to ask because a “difficult” customer is letting you know loudly and clearly exactly what your problem is (are you loving them yet?). While there is no way to come up with a set of hard and fast rules for every situation, here are some general guidelines for dealing effectively with a customer complaint.

Validate the customer’s perspective.

This doesn’t mean that you necessarily agree with the customer’s opinion or perception of events, and it doesn’t obligate you to share their stated interests. But before expecting a customer to understand and appreciate YOUR situation, they need to know that you understand and appreciate THEIRS.

Define the problem explicitly.

The problem is the problem, not the customer. So make sure you define the problem as clearly as possible. Studies on employee/customer disputes show that about 75% of the time, individuals are disagreeing about different issues. Ask the customer "What’s the issue?" then "What’s your concern here?" or "What do you want to accomplish?" and "How can we work this out?"

Ask better questions.

If you’ve asked a question like “what can we do to make you happy?” or “what will it take to resolve this?” and the response isn’t workable, don’t ask that question again. You’ll just get the same answer and reinforce the customer’s determination to achieve the unworkable outcome. Instead try asking a better question to get a more productive, workable response. “Are you willing to explore creative options? or “Would you be willing to discuss a flexible approach to resolving this?” are questions designed to bring forth a better customer response.

Listen actively.

Listen with the intent to understand the customer’s problem and their perception; not just with the intent to respond with a solution. Listen for emotions, and pay attention to body language, so that you have a full appreciation of what the customer is thinking and feeling.

Communicate directly.

One of the best ways to defuse a conflict is to address it openly. Put the problem on the table where everyone can see it. This will start the process. The differences that caused the difficulty can only go away when we ask and listen without judgment.

Ask for their advice.

Even though your ego may resist this, this can be a good proactive step toward resolving a conflict. It’s a sign of respect, and for many dissatisfied customers, the core issue underneath their complain is a feeling of not being respected or appreciated. This is also a subtle way of getting customers to tell you more of what they want.

Don’t just fix the problem.

Don't think that simply fixing the problem guarantees that the customer will come back. If you go to dinner at a restaurant and your meal comes out over-cooked, what usually happens? If you complain, (remember, this means 25 other dissatisfied customers won’t) most of the time the waiter will replace the meal. So the problem is fixed. Will that get you back to the restaurant? It might, but take it a step further. Maybe the waiter will take that meal off of the bill as a way of apologizing for the inconvenience. Will that get you back? Possibly, but most likely it will take more than that.

The goal here is not just to fix the problem, but to give the customer a reason to want to come back and give the restaurant another try. So remember, while you may have to focus your immediate attention on a specific problem or issue, your real goal is to insure that you retain a loyal, satisfied customer.

Referral Strategies

Gaining new business through referrals can be a highly effective and powerful way to drive sales growth. It is also an approach that less than 8% of salespeople employ to full advantage. It is a shame that so few salespeople use an effective referral process as a key part of their sales growth strategy, because meeting people through other people is the warmest, most natural way on introducing ourselves into the lives of others.

But if gaining new business through referrals is such an obviously effective approach, why do so few salespeople utilize it? One reason many salespeople are hesitant to even mention that they would appreciate any referrals a customer could provide is that they don’t want to appear too “needy.”

We all want to project an image of success, achievement and confidence—and many salespeople feel that asking for referrals may somehow tarnish the impression they have made on the customer. But in their effort to build credibility they may be sending an unintended message that they don’t need or value the customer’s help.

Do your customers know you would value their help? Do they know you would appreciate their advocacy? Many of your customers have the potential to become effective “evangelists” for you, but do they even know that this is something you would value and appreciate?

Step 1: Let Them Know

This is easy and natural. At some point during your conversation with a customer, say something like “If you ever think of anyone who would benefit from our services the way you have, we of course would appreciate you referring them to us.”

You can take this a step further by providing a specific incentive. This gives you a reason to talk to the customer about referrals. For example “I should let you know that we have a special incentive program for our current customers. If you refer someone to us who becomes a customer, you will receive…” You get the idea. It almost doesn’t matter what the specific incentive is. You just want to have a practical reason for talking to the customer about the potential for referrals.

And just because you have talked about this once, don’t think that you should never mention it again. In fact, the opposite is true. If you want to create a true referral awareness in your current customers, you will need to mention the value of referrals quite often. Do it pleasantly and with no pressure, but definitely mention again and again how much you would appreciate any referrals they might be able to provide.

Step 2: Let Them Make First Contact

Let the person who referred you make the first contact, and talk about you as a third-party endorsement. Maybe even set up a three-way meeting or a three-way lunch. If somebody gives you a referral and tells you to call them, but has not called them him or herself, it’s nothing more than a lead (and an awkward one at that).

A referral is the easiest sale in the world if it’s set up properly. You must get your customer involved as an additional salesperson. This will remove any hesitation and any barrier.

The problem is that salespeople are so anxious to call the referral on the phone, that they do it the wrong way, and lose half their potential sales.

“Working a referral” may not be the best way to look at it. “Partnering with referrals” gives you a much clearer idea of what you need to do to maximize your percentage of sales.

Strategy for Partnering with Referrals:

1. Encourage/motivate your customers to provide referrals.
2. Ask your customer to call and make an introduction.
3. Get your customer to tell you everything you need to know to make an impact.
4. Get your customer to set up a three-way call or "get acquainted" lunch.
5. The customer or person who gave you the referral is the best resource to help you make the sale. Once you have all the information you need, and the customer has set a meeting and helped you in every way possible, thank them by getting THEM a referral or providing some other tangible benefit.

Selling Skills for Trainers: Telesales Tips

The REAL Selling process an be applied to every type of sale: business-to-business, business-to-consumer, face-to-face and telesales. While selling over the telephone has many advantages, it does require that your selling skills are finely tuned. Here are a few tips from the REAL Selling program to help your teleales efforts:

PRE-CALL PLANNING

• Have an advancement objective for every telesales call, defined as, "What do I want them to DO as a result of this call, and what do I want to do?"
• Prepare questions for your telesales call using your call objective. Ask yourself, "How can I persuade them to take this action as a result of asking questions, as opposed to talking?" Remember, people believe more of their ideas than yours.
• Also have a secondary objective for each telephone sales call...something you'll strive to accomplish, at minimum, every time. Pick something you'll have a reasonably good chance to succeed with, such as, "Getting their agreement they will accept my literature and place it in their 'Backup Vendor' file." This way, you can enjoy success on every call you place, and that does wonders for your attitude.

BEFORE REACHING THE DECISION MAKER

• Treat the screener as you would the customer--this person determines whether or not you'll even have a chance to speak with the buyer.
• Gather as much information as you can from whomever you are able, prior to speaking with your prospect; busy decision makers get bored when they have to answer your basic qualifying questions. Use the "Help" technique: "I hope you can help me. So I'm better prepared when I speak with Ms. Big, there's probably some information you could provide me..."
• Before cold calls, think of a good reason for needing to speak with the decision maker, and be prepared to sell this to the screener. What they're thinking about you: "Does this person have anything of interest, or of value for the boss?"
• If leaving a message on voice mail, or with a screener, be certain it offers a hint of a benefit/result that sparks curiosity, but doesn't
  talk about products/services.

INTEREST-CREATING OPENING BENEFIT STATEMENTS

• The objective of your telesales opening is to pique curiosity and interest so that they will willingly and enthusiastically move to the questioning. You must answer, "What's in it for me?" for the listener, or they will immediately begin the getting-rid-of-you process.
• Don't use goofy, resistance inducing phrases on your telesales call, like, "If I could show you a way to _____, you would, wouldn't you?" The only decision you're looking for in the opening is the one to continue speaking
  with you.
• When cold call prospecting, don't start the call with, "I was just calling people in your area..." People want to feel like they're the only person you're calling... not just one of the masses from a list of compiled names.

 

• Open your cold prospecting calls with phrases like: "depending on," "might," "maybe," "perhaps," and "possibly." These are non-threatening words that intimate you MIGHT have something of value for them, but you really need to ask questions first. For example, "Depending on what you're now doing in the area of employee benefits, I might have something that could potentially increase the number of options you offer, while possibly decreasing your overall contribution. I'd like to ask you a few questions to see if this is something you'd like more information on."
• Have something of value to say on every telesales call. Particularly those regular calls to existing customers. Avoid, "Just checking in with you to see if you needed anything," and, "Just calling to touch base." These are more nuisance than service. Be certain they're able to say they are better off after your call than they were before it, even if they didn't buy anything. Call with news they'll have an interest in; ideas you've heard from other customers they might be able to take advantage of; mention that you were "thinking of them" and tell them why. One of my printing salesmen called to say he "just came back from a trade show and saw something interesting, and thought I could benefit from it." It's little things like that, that cause customers to say, "She always has something good for me when she calls," as opposed to, "Every time she calls she's just looking for an order."

EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING

• Get information before you give it. How could you make an effective presentation otherwise?
• Don't use a "benefit list" to present from. Instead, use it to create questions to determine if those "benefits" truly are of value to your prospects and customers. Some "benefits" could actually be liabilities.
• Avoid asking go-nowhere questions like, "Is everything going OK?", "What are your needs?", "Are you having any problems now?", "How's service?", and, "What are you looking for in a vendor?" These all force the person to think too much. Instead, get them emotionally involved in seeing and feeling the pain or problem that can be solved with your product/service-especially problems you know they're likely experiencing. For example, "What do you do in situations when you need parts shipped overnight, but are unable to get them?"
• Ask one question at a time. That's how many they'll answer at a time.
• After asking, be quiet. Resist the urge to jump in if they don't answer immediately. Don't be intimidated by silence. They're likely thinking about what they're going to say.
• After they've finished, count to two (silently, of course). This ensures they're done, plus they might continue with even better information.
• Be confident in your questioning. One reason reps ramble with questions is that they're not prepared or confident. Prepare your questions. Role play them-with yourself if necessary.
• Always know where you'll go with answers. Regardless of the answer.
• Follow up their answers with related questions. Too often reps work from a rigid list of questions, losing the opportunity to pick up on prospect statements which are just the tip of the iceberg of their real feelings. For example, if a prospect said, "I believe the main reason production isn't higher is a lack of motivation. The best move is to follow up with, "I see. What specific signs of poor motivation have you noticed?", or, simply, "Tell me more."
• Quantify the problem whenever possible. "How often does that happen?" "How much do you think that is costing you?" "How much time does that take?"
• Resist the tendency to present. Some reps get so excited when they hear the slightest hint of an opportunity, that they turn on the spigot of benefits. Hold off, ask a few more questions, get better information, and you're able to craft an even harder-hitting description of benefits, tailored precisely to what they're interested in.
• Learn more about the decision-making process. There could be many behind-the-scenes influences on the decision. Ask about actual users of your products/services, anyone else who could influence it, who has to sign off on the ultimate decision or OK the money for it, and perhaps people who would rather not see it happen.

Selling Skills for Trainers: Using Humor

Many of our training friends have used the REAL Sellling program skills and strategies to help them grow their independent busineses. While the REAL Selling program has a heavy emphasis on following a systemic approach based upon proven processes and methods, it is also important to remember there is as much “art” in successful selling as there is “science.” And a huge element of the art of selling is humor and charm. There's a sales adage that says, "If you can make 'em laugh, you can make 'em buy."

The reason the saying has been around so long is that it's true. Humor and laughter are two key ingredients in building relationships and gaining customers.

The challenges with humor?

• Most salespeople don't know how to use it.
• Most salespeople don't know when to use it.
• Most salespeople are afraid to use it.

Why? Either because they think it will make them look unprofessional, or because they lack the essential confidence needed to take the “risk” of trying to be funny. Humor is the final frontier of selling. It is easy to learn about your product and your customer. It's even relatively easy to learn the science of selling. But it's hard to learn the science of humor -- and harder to learn how to place humor into your sales presentations.

The beauty of humor is that it relaxes people and creates a more open atmosphere. That atmosphere leads to friendship, respect and compatibility.

But don’t get ahead of yourself – focus on using humor only AFTER you have mastered an understanding of your product, your customers and the science of selling. If you use humor but don't understand those other three elements, you will be a clown who makes no sales. Humor is the most difficult of nuances to master, but once you master humor, you have the basis for solid intellectual rapport and solid intellectual engagement.

Is this microphone on? – Remember, not all prospects require or desire humor, and you can tell who they are right away if you are paying attention. They never laugh at anything. The best thing to do in that scenario is to “mirror” their overly professional approach and try to find a more “intellectual” approach to developing rapport with them.

The best approach is a combination of professional, friendly and funny. If your sales talk is professional but devoid of friendliness and humor, you are likely to lose to someone whose sales talk is professional, friendly and funny.

Friendly and funny are a thousand times more engaging than professional. If you doubt that, take a look at any late-night TV host. I don't mean to compare your sales presentation with a David Letterman monologue. But compare the way you think you have to present versus the way your prospective buyer would like you to present.

When it comes to humor, know the difference between a joke and a story. Most average salespeople reduce themselves to being joke tellers -- usually bad joke re-tellers. Joke telling is dangerous and typically not very funny. Many jokes are demeaning to one person or another, and they often sound contrived, as if you're trying too hard. Worst of all, if the customer has heard the joke before, it makes you look like a complete idiot, especially when you're the only one laughing.

Stories, on the other hand, are genuine. They tell about experience, they can use self-effacing humor and they're engaging. When you tell a story, it often makes the prospect think of another story and will engage you back and forth in storytelling.

If you can get a story from the prospect, you'll build rapport. Storytelling is also effective in your sales presentation because it helps the prospect relate to your product or service. Facts and figures are forgotten. Stories are remembered and repeated. Laughter is universal. Using humor in sales is almost never taught. That's because most sales training and most sales trainers aren't funny.  Of course, your REAL Selling trainer was a huge exception to this rule.

If you don't consider yourself a funny person, study humor and learn how to use it as a sales advantage. You can debate how much humor to use, when to use it or the type of humor to use. But you cannot deny the power of laughter as a universal bond from human to human -- and from human to sales order form.

The late George Burns once said, "With the death of Vaudeville, new comedians have no place to stink." What he meant was that to be great at using humor, you have to try it and be willing to fail. Just because you fail to get a laugh a few times doesn't mean you should quit. Mastering humor takes time, intelligence, trial and error, and practice. But rest assured -- humor also takes the order.

Are You a Counterfeit Prospector? (Part 3 of 3)

Assuming you have worked to develop a high level of prospecting motivation and actually have a propsoecting plan in place, what do you actually say to the prospect? Most actual prospecting activity begins with an initial telephone call, or in some cases, an initial meeting where the salesperson “drops by” without an appointment, hoping to introduce themselves to the prospect.

In either case, the best way to begin is with a brief opening BENEFIT statement, followed by a carefully planned and delivered question that tests for receptivity.  Whether prospecting on the telephone or in person, here are a few examples of opening benefits statements and tests for receptivity that can open a call nicely:

"Mr. Molitor, our company is committed to delivering solutions that improve the motivation, morale and performance of both students and educators, but I obviously don't know specifically how we could best be of service to you. Could I ask a few questions to help us both quickly decide whether or not you and I should talk in more detail?”

Here’s another example:

"Mrs. Watkins, as the industry leader, our company is in a unique position to help you enhance the morale, motivation and performance of both your students and your faculty. And the fact that we have local facilities means your working with a national, reputable company, and you also have the convenience and personal attention of a local business. Could I could ask you a few questions to help you and I both decide whether or not we should talk in more detail?”

This approach works well because you gain control without being pushy as you complete three critical steps: First, you get the prospect’s attention with a positive benefit statement, then test for receptivity by politely asking permission to ask a few questions. Second, you ask carefully-crafted questions to determine need, decision-making ability and financial potential. And third, you advance in small steps, requesting only a modest time commitment from the prospect – making it easy for them to say “yes” to the next step.

Now, most often, with this approach, you’re going to have a prospective customer agree to a few questions.

Occasionally a prospect won’t be willing to answer questions, and we’ll deal with methods for handling that situation in a moment, but for now let’s assume that the customer agrees to a brief conversation with you. So you need to have a few questions prepared.

And, while we know that eventually there are many, many things you need to discover about the prospective customer, initially you want to focus on three areas. Asking questions to determine: Need, Potential and Decision Making Authority.

Determining the degree to which the prospect has a NEED for your product or service is pretty straightforward, but you don’t want to make the common mistake of asking overly direct questions. Because at this point the prospect isn’t usually highly motivated to give you the information you need to sell them, so asking for that information needs to be done subtly and graciously with carefully crafted questions.

You also want to avoid asking overly OBVIOUS questions. Some salespeople call these “duh” questions, because, even if the customer answers them, what their really thinking is “duh, what do you EXPECT me to say?”

“Mr. Jones, this is George Plotter with Globetron, if I could show you a way to save money and improve your project at the same time, could you be interested?”

“Mrs. Wilson, are you interested in way to have better service, with fewer headaches and hassles?”

Asking obvious or overly direct questions can make the prospect feel uncomfortable, and make the salesperson look, well – like a typical salesperson.

The ability to ask intelligent, relevant questions at the right time is THE most important prospecting skill. Carefully crafted questions accomplish the following three important sales objectives:

• Controlling the sales process without appearing aggressive or pushy.
• Getting the prospect’s attention and require them to “engage” with you mentally.
• Building comfort and rapport with the prospect.

Remember, the key to an effective prospecting call is to open with benefits, gain permission to question, then ask carefully crafted questions to determine need, potential and decision making authority.

Here are the basics of an effective prospecting plan:

• Commit to a specific prospecting time each week.
• Be prepared with a list of names before you start calling.
• Get organized BEFORE your prospecting time.
• Work without interruption during your prospecting time.
• Consider prospecting during off peak hours.

Part 1

Part 2

Are You a Counterfeit Prospector? (Part 2 of 3)

The first step toward developing greater internal prospecting motivation is to identify and replace any limiting beliefs you may have about the growth potential of your business. Have you convinced yourself that robust growth just isn’t possible in your territory? If so, that belief will stop you cold.

How do you decide what the growth potential of your territory is? Counterfeit Prospectors generally just look at what they’ve done in the past, and what others in the same region have done, and to them that represents the territory potential. As long as their growth rate isn’t too far out of line with historical averages, they feel pretty good about their results. But iternally motivated prospectors don’t compare their results with past performance. Instead, they compare their results with the true territory potential.

The past does not equal the future and historical growth rate IS NOT a true indicator of territory potential. How much business could you be doing if you had 100% market share, with EVERY prospective customer buying the highest-margin products? Whether or not that goal is achievable, it does represent the true POTENTIAL of your territory. And internally motivated prospectors are determined to achieve as much of that potential as possible.

Take a close look at your beliefs regarding that growth potential of your territory and ask yourself if you’ve been basing your growth assumptions on the past, rather than the true potential of your territory.

The second step toward developing greater internal prospecting motivation is to find YOUR reasons for wanting better prospecting results – not your sales manager’s reasons. Not Jostens’ reasons. YOUR reasons. If you’re money-motivated, then set a financial goal and decide how you’ll reward yourself when you achieve it. But there may be other factors that are more motivating to you: competitive drive, recognition, pride, etc. You’re the expert on you, so find a compelling REASON for better prospecting results that works for YOU.

The third step toward developing greater internal prospecting motivation is to develop a consistent prospecting plan that you know you can execute throughout the rest of your selling career. Not a one-time shot, but a consistent prospecting approach.

 

Developing a consistent prospecting plan that you can live with for the rest of your selling career can have an enormous impact on your business. Because in addition to increasing your actual prospecting results, it also helps keep your selling skills finely tuned. The old saying “use it or lose it” applies as much to selling as to anything else, and whether you realize it or not, if you spend most of your time with current customers, you’re likely to lose some key skills: Asking tactical and strategic questions, identifying and confirming needs, handling stalls and objections, etc. Salespeople who are always actively prospecting, on the other hand, have to use these skills every day, which keeps them better prepared to work with prospects AND current customers.

So how do you develop a consistent prospecting plan? First, commit to a specific prospecting time each week, and mark in on your planning calendar just like any other important event or meeting. You may set aside 30 minutes every weekday, or a larger block of time one day a week. The amount of time and the specific schedule is up to you, but 2 to 4 hours should be the MININIMUM.

Second, be prepared with a list of names before you start calling. Not being prepared with a list of names will force you to devote much, if not all of your prospecting time to finding the names you need. You’ll have been busy, and feel as though you worked hard, but you will have made few calls.

Third, be organized. Use modern technology to maximize the effectiveness of your prospecting and follow-up. The contact management system you choose should allow you to record a follow-up call three years from today with no more difficulty than it would be to record one for tomorrow.

Fourth, work without interruption. Don’t take incoming calls (except from prospects) and don’t schedule other meetings during your prospecting time. This helps you to take full advantage of the prospecting learning curve. As with any repetitive task, the more often you repeat the task during a contiguous block of time, the better you become. Prospecting is no exception to the rule. Your second call will be better than your first, your third better than you second, and so on. You’ll find that your prospecting technique actually improves over the course of your prospecting period.

Fifth, consider prospecting during off peak hours when conventional prospecting times don't work. Conventional cold calling hours are between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, but when those hours are not working for you, consider switching or supplementing your prospecting time by prospecting during off peak hours. Some of your best work will be done between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, and between 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM. And vary your call times. We are all creatures of habit, and so are your prospects. In all likelihood, they are attending the same meeting each Monday at 10:00 AM. If you cannot get through at this time, learn from your lack of success and call this particular prospect at other times during the day or, on other days.

And one final suggestion: Make your prospecting calls brief. The objective of the prospecting call (either on the telephone or in person) is to get the appointment to have a more in-depth discussion. You certainly will need to share some information with the prospect initially, but if you get bogged down in a detailed conversation you may very well talk yourself out of the chance to have a more substantive conversation.

Part 1

Part 3

Are You a Counterfeit Prospector? (Part 1 of 3)

The search for new customers and increased business from current customers should be a never-ending part of any successful selling career, but prospecting is hard work, it’s sometimes uncomfortable, and not always a whole lot of fun. So it comes as no surprise that many salespeople stop prospecting as soon as they can, which is usually when they reach their financial comfort zone.

A recent study of more than 800 salespeople in 27 industries indicated that prospecting activity diminishes dramatically as soon as salespeople are able to describe their financial situation as “comfortable” or “very comfortable”. For many salespeople, prospecting is a lot like going to the health club to exercise. You know it’s good for you, and you know that if you do it consistently, the results will be positive, but you still don’t do it as often as you should.

There are three common prospecting “profiles” among salespeople: a) The Non-prospector, b) The Counterfeit Prospector, and c) The Internally Driven Prospector.

The Non-Prospector is easiest to spot. Because they don’t prospect. Period. They may not TELL you that they’re not prospecting, but they decided at some point, either consciously or unconsciously, that the pain associated with prospecting just wasn’t worth the potential rewards. Much like the person who doesn’t bother even GOING to the health club anymore, because it just isn’t worth the effort.

The Internally-Driven Prospector is almost as easy to spot. They don’t need a sales manager or anyone else to motivate them to prospect. Their prospecting “radar” is always at work, scanning for potential business. Even though prospecting may not be their favorite activity, an intense desire to grow the business is their dominant driving force. Like the athlete who exercises daily, without complaints or excuses, because of a strong personal motivation to be fit and healthy.

The Counterfeit Prospector, on the other hand, is often very difficult to recognize. They usually APPEAR to be prospecting regularly – making initial phone calls, asking for referrals, following up on leads, meeting with potential customers, etc. – but their actions are driven externally, by a sales manager, financial pressure or some other external factor pushing them to prospect. They do what they know is expected of them, but their heart isn’t in it.

Counterfeit Prospectors often don’t even recognize themselves, because they ARE generating prospecting activity. Their sales reports look good. Everything seems fine, except for the actual growth rate of their business, and they can point to many other factors dampening growth potential. But because they lack a true internal drive to prospect, they often spend time VISITING with prospective customers, thinking that this counts as a prospecting call. They make phone calls to prospects to “check in” and “touch bases” and “see how you’re doing”. When introducing new products to a current customer they don’t passionately and professionally ADVOCATE the new product. Instead they call on the customer and “run it up the flag pole” to see if it flies.

When Counterfeit Prospectors spend time VISITING with prospect, they tell themselves they’re prospecting, and they believe they are, but in reality, they’re just hanging around, hoping for low-hanging fruit to fall off the tree. And occasionally some does, so they feel good about their efforts.

Like the person who goes to the health club regularly, but spends more time in the sauna than actually exercising, they feel good about what they’re doing – look at all that sweat! – but ultimately the results speak for themselves. Now, since they often don’t recognize themselves, is it possible that YOU are a Counterfeit Prospector without knowing it? Answer the following questions.

• Is building and maintaining strong personal relationships with customers the key to your selling success?
• Would you describe your current financial status as “comfortable” or “very comfortable”?
• Is your business growing LESS than 15% ANNUALLY?
• Do you have friendly relationships with many prospects you’ve called on numerous times, without generating any business?
• Is maintaining and strengthening your CURRENT business relationships more important than developing NEW business relationships?

If you answered “yes” to three or more of the questions, it’s quite possible that you’re a counterfeit prospector. This doesn’t mean that you’re not prospecting at all or working to generate new business. But whatever your prospecting activity level, you may not have the internal drive necessary to be a truly effective prospector. And learning new prospecting skills isn’t necessarily the answer, because you probably have the skills – what you lack is internal prospecting motivation.

If you take a hard, honest look at yourself and realize it’s possible that you might in fact be a Counterfeit Prospector, does that mean you’re a hopeless case? Of course not. In fact, identifying motivation as your key prospecting challenge is a first huge step toward becoming an extraordinary prospector. Because you CAN develop greater internal prospecting motivation. And when you DO develop a high degree of internal prospecting motivation, backed up by an effective prospecting plan, you’ll find that you’re prospecting calls begin to consistently produce RESULTS, not just activity.

3 Steps to Increase Your Internal Prospecting Motivation

1. Identify and replace any limiting beliefs you may have about the growth potential of your business. (The past does not equal the future and historical growth rate IS NOT a true indicator of territory potential).
2. Find YOUR reasons for wanting better prospecting results – not your sales manager’s reasons. Not Jostens’ reasons. You’re the expert on you, so find a compelling REASON for better prospecting results that works for YOU.
3. Develop a consistent prospecting plan that you know you can execute throughout the rest of your selling career. Not a one-time shot, but a consistent prospecting approach.


Part 2

Part 3

 

Selling to the New Mattress Stuffers

The new Mattress Stuffers are active Baby Boomers who, until just a few months ago, were heading happily into their 60s with inflated assets, unlimited second-job opportunities, and IRAs crammed full of stocks.

Now, nothing seems secure to them. And they view every = purchasing decision with increasing paranoia. Consumers are asking if they REALLY need a new product or service. Maybe it would be more prudent to repair the old one. Or just do without. Business people are essentially asking themselves the same thing. Do we really need that equipment upgrade right now? What's the near-term downside if we don't hire that new Director of HR? What of we end up needing = these funds for something really serious - like survival?

Among these Matttress Stuffers, there is a hunger for security literally and emotionally. Literally, sales of home safes and vaults are surging. Sales of guns this year are up 8 to = 10 percent. Emotionally, people are turning to traditional sources of = emotional comfort: religion, food, movies and Oprah = Winfrey.

So if you are a salesperson, how do you recognize them, and = how do you sell to them? Recognizing them is the easy part. First, just assume that everyone you deal with has a little but of the Mattress Stuffer mentality within them. And if they are clearly hesitant, cautious, asking a lot of questions but not sure = they want to spend the money, you probably have a bona fide Mattress Stuffer in your hands. Here are a few tips to help you:

Use written evidence, not verbal words. They will tend to distrust what you say, but believe what they see in print. Especially if it comes from a credible source.

Align with their fears. Tell them "In this economy, I am being very careful and cautious with every dollar I spend."

Emphasize short-term benefits. If they won't be experiencing some tangible benefit immediatly or within = the next 30 days, they will struggle to justify the decision.

Use testimonials from credible sources (they will tend to distrust anonymous testimonials) and make sure the = testimonial is specific, not just a general endorsement.

Give them at least two financial options. If they are forced to decide between purchasing and not purchasing, they tell tend to not purchase. But if they are given two or three (four is too much) financial options, this allows them to make a purchase AND = choose the most conservative, prudent path.

Final thought - don't try to "overcome" their fears. You can't. These are deep seated psychological traits that are not going to be changed by a few clever words from a salesperson. In fact, any effort to counter objections and overcome their fears will tend to drive them further away.

Instead, align with their fears. Embrace = their fears. Let them know you understand their caution, then provide them with inforamtion and evidence they can trust, to provide them with reassurance.

 

5 Essential Negotiation Principles for a Tough Economy

The way that you conduct yourself in a negotiation can dramatically the outcome, and there are 5 essential principles you should remember. These principles are always at work for you and will help you smoothly get what you want.

1. Get the Other Side to Commit First. Top negotiators know that you're usually better off if you can get the other side to commit to a position first. Several reasons are obvious:

• Their first offer may be much better than you expected.
• It gives you information about them before you have to tell them anything.
• It enables you to bracket their proposal - present a counter-proposal which creates a "middle ground" that happens to be exactly what you ultimately want.

If they state a price first, you can bracket them, so if you end up splitting the difference, you'll get what you want. If they can get you to commit first, they can then bracket your proposal. Then if you end up splitting the difference, they get what they wanted. The less you know about the other side or the proposition that you're negotiating, the more important the principle of not going first becomes.

If both sides of a negotiation have learned that they shouldn't go first, you can't sit there forever with both sides refusing to put a number on the table, but as a rule you should always find out what the other side wants to do first.

2. Act Dumb, Not Smart. To effective negotiators, smart is dumb and dumb is smart. When you are negotiating, you're better off acting as if you know less than everybody else does, not more. The dumber you act, the better off you are unless your apparent I.Q. sinks to a point where you lack any credibility.

There is a good reason for this. With a few rare exceptions, human beings tend to help people that they see as less intelligent or informed, rather than taking advantage of them.

Of course there are a few ruthless people out there who will try to take advantage of weak people, but most people want to compete with people they see as brighter and help people they see as less bright. So, the reason for acting dumb is that it diffuses the competitive spirit of the other side. How can you fight with someone who is asking you to help them negotiate with you? How can you carry on any type of competitive banter with a person who says, "I don't know, what do you think?" Most people, when faced with this situation, feel sorry for the other person and go out of their way to help him or her.

Do you remember the TV show Columbo? Peter Falk played a detective who walked around in an old raincoat and a mental fog, chewing on an old cigar butt. He constantly wore an expression that suggested he had just misplaced something and couldn't remember what it was, let alone where he had left it. In fact, his success was directly attributable to how smart he was-by acting dumb. His demeanor was so disarming that the murderers came close to wanting him to solve his cases because he appeared to be so helpless.

The negotiators who let their egos take control of them and come across as a sharp, sophisticated negotiator commit to several things that work against them in a negotiation. These include being the following:

• A fast decision-maker who doesn't need time to think things over.
• Someone who would not have to check with anyone else before going ahead.
• Someone who doesn't have to consult with experts before committing.
• Someone who would never stoop to pleading for a concession.
• Someone who would never be overridden by a supervisor.
• Someone who doesn't have to keep extensive notes about the progress of the negotiation and refer to them frequently.

The highly effective negotiator who understands the importance of acting dumb retains these options:

• Requesting time to think it over so that he or she can thoroughly think through the dangers of accepting or the opportunities that making additional demands might bring.
• Deferring a decision while he or she checks with a committee or board of directors.
• Asking for time to let legal or technical experts review the proposal.
• Pleading for additional concessions.
• Using Good Guy/Bad Guy to put pressure on the other side without confrontation.
• Taking time to think under the guise of reviewing notes about the negotiation.

Warning: Be careful that you're not acting dumb in your area of expertise. If you're a heart surgeon, don't say, "I'm not sure if you need a triple by-pass or if a double by-pass will do." If you're an architect, don't say, "I don't know if this building will stand up or not."

Win-win negotiating depends on the willingness of each side to be truly empathetic to the other side's position. That's not going to happen if both sides continue to compete with each other. Effective negotiators know that acting dumb diffuses that competitive spirit and opens the door to win-win solutions.

3. Think in Real Money Terms but Talk Funny Money. There are all kinds of ways of describing the price of something. If you went to the Boeing Aircraft Company and asked them what it costs to fly a 747 coast to coast, they wouldn't tell you "Fifty-two thousand dollars." They would tell you eleven cents per passenger mile. Salespeople call that breaking it down to the ridiculous.

Haven't we all had a real estate salesperson say to us at one time or another, "Do you realize you're talking 35=C2=A2 a day here? You're not going to let 35=C2=A2 a day stand between you and your dream home are you?" It probably didn't occur to you that 35=C2=A2 a day over the 30-year life of a real estate mortgage is more than $7,000.

Effective negotiators think in real money terms. When that supplier tells you about a 5=C2=A2 increase on an item, it may not seem important enough to spend much time on. Until you start thinking of how many of those items you buy during a year. Then you find that there's enough money sitting on the table to make it well worth your while to negotiate.

Here are some other examples of funny money:

• Interest rates expressed as a percentage rather than a dollar amount.
• The amount of the monthly payments being emphasized rather than the true cost of the item.
• Cost per brick, tile, or square foot rather than the total cost of materials.
• An hourly increase in pay per person rather than the annual cost of the increase to the company.
• Insurance premiums as a monthly amount rather than an annual cost.
• The price of land expressed as the monthly payment.

Businesses know that if you're not having to pull real money out of your purse or pocket, you're inclined to spend more. It's why casinos the world over have you convert your real money to gaming chips. It's why restaurants are happy to let you use a credit card although they have to pay a percentage to the credit card company.

So, when you're negotiating break the investment down to the ridiculous because it does sound like less money, but learn to think in real money terms. Don't let people use the Funny Money Gambit on you.

4. Concentrate on the Issues. Effective negotiators know that they should always concentrate on the issues and not be distracted by the actions of the other negotiators.

Have you ever watched tennis on television and seen a highly emotional star like John McEnroe jumping up and down at the other end of the court. You wonder to yourself, "How on Earth can anybody play tennis against somebody like that? It's such a game of concentration, it doesn't seem fair."

The answer is that good tennis players understand that only one thing affects the outcome of the game of tennis. That's the movement of the ball across the net. What the other player is doing doesn't affect the outcome of the game at all, as long as you know what the ball is doing. So in that way, tennis players learn to concentrate on the ball, not on the other person.

When you're negotiating, the ball is the movement of the goal concessions across the negotiating table. It's the only thing that affects the outcome of the game; but it's so easy to be thrown off by what the other people are doing, isn't it?

Effective negotiators concentrate on the issues, not on the personalities.

You should always be thinking, "Where are we now, compared to where we were an hour ago or yesterday or last week?"

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said, "It's okay to get upset when you're negotiating, as long as you're in control, and you're doing it as a specific negotiating tactic." It's when you're upset and out of control that you always lose.

That's why salespeople will have this happen to them. They lose an account. They take it into their sales manager, and they say, "Well, we lost this one. Don't waste any time trying to save it. I did everything I could. If anybody could have saved it, I would have saved it."

So, the sales manager says, "Well, just as a public relations gesture, let me give the other side a call anyway." The sales manager can hold it together, not necessarily because he's any brighter or sharper than the salesperson, but because he hasn't become emotionally involved with the people the way the salesperson has. Don't do that. Learn to concentrate on the issues.

5. Always Congratulate The Other Side. When you're through negotiating, you should always congratulate the other side. However poorly you think the other person may have done in the negotiations, congratulate them. Say, "Wow-did you do a fantastic job negotiating that. I realize that I didn't get as good a deal as I could have done, but frankly, it was worth it because I learned so much about negotiating. You were brilliant." You want the other person to feel that he or she won in the negotiations.

Don't think of this as being disingenuous or manipulative. Look upon it as the ultimate in courtesy for the conqueror to congratulate the vanquished.

When the British army and navy went down the Atlantic to recapture the Falkland Islands from the Argentineans, it was quite a rout. Within a few days, the Argentine navy lost most of its ships and the victory for the English was absolute. The evening after the Argentinean admiral surrendered, the English admiral invited him on board to dine with his officers and congratulated him on a splendid campaign.

Effective negotiators always want the other parties thinking that they won in the negotiations. It starts by asking for more than you expect to get. It continues through all of the other tactics that are designed to service the perception that they're winning. It ends with congratulating the other side.
If you let these five principles guide your conduct when you're negotiating, they will serve you well and help you become a highly effective negotiator.

Avoid the 7 Most Common Business Presentation Errors

Genuine communication is a TWO-WAY reciprocal process, not one-way information delivery. It ‘s as much a matter of human relationships as it as about transmitting facts.

Poor communication is a major, yet avoidable, obstacle to business productivity. Unfortunately many managers and executives take their communication with employees, and even customers, for granted. Many of them instinctively assume the role of a teacher who knows everything, and expects others to passively imbibe their knowledge. But genuine communication is a TWO-WAY reciprocal process, not one-way information delivery. It ‘s as much a matter of human relationships as it as about transmitting facts.

Most employees rate their managers as average to poor presenters. Here are the seven most common communication errors made by managers and executives, according to a survey of more than 5000 employees in a broad range of industries and job specialties:

• Presenting without a purpose. Many executives seem to be communicating just to hear themselves talk, because those they are presenting to can ‘t discern a relevant purpose to the presentation.
• Presenting without complete understanding. Many employees report that their managers and executives present information and ideas that are either extraneous or irrelevant, because they don ‘t really understand their circumstances.
• Being dull and monotonous. Or even worse, attempting to open a presentation with a lame joke or anecdote.
• Saying too much. Many employees (and customers) report feeling overwhelmed by a flood of information that seems random and disjointed.
• Assuming the listener/audience “Gets it.” More than 70% of employees report having conversations with managers, or listening to presentations from them, in which they don’t really understand the information being presented.
• Assuming the listener/audience agrees. Just because a presentation ends with loud applause doesn‘t mean that the audience agrees with the speaker, or buys into their perspective.
• Ending with a loud thud. Both one-on-one communications and group presentations too often end with little more than polite smiles and applause, and both parties being grateful the ordeal is over.

So what can you do to avoid these errors?  Here are seven effective strategies to help you communicate in a way that ‘s clear, concise and relevant to employees and customers:

1. Begin at the End

Almost every effective business communication is in some way a “call to action” and you should pre-determine the specific outcome or action you want to achieve. Do you want an employee to change their work habits? Do you want a customer to buy your product? Do you want the shareholders to approve the merger?

Decide in advance a specific objective that requires action or commitment on the part of your audience. If you can ‘t think of a specific outcome that requires action of commitment, then maybe you should be asking yourself if the communication is really necessary at all. Because if the only purpose is delivery of data, there are probably more efficient ways of doing it.

2. Listen First, Speak Second

Every presentation, every conversation, and virtually every other interpersonal communication should begin with questions that enhance the speakers understanding of the other person (or group). Admittedly, this rarely happens. Most speakers and presenters are so focused on THEIR message that they forget the real priority is the other person.

Of course questions take time, and listening to answers takes even more time, but if we want to consistently communicate in a way that ‘s relevant to others, we have to make sure that we truly understand their perspective.

3. Earn Attention

Never assume you have someone ‘s full attention, because most people have a multitude of thought and ideas flowing through their mind at any one time. Their mental “noise" consists of everything that distracts them including noise in the literal sense, physical or emotional discomfort, personal problems, negative attitudes, or distracting mannerisms. This is why gaining attention =E2=80=93 EARNING attention =E2=80=93 is an important prerequisite for effective communication.

Some people do this with an amusing anecdote, or a compelling personal story, and this works well in many circumstances if you have the ability to do it naturally. But you can also gain attention by presenting new information (the results of a surprising new research study, etc.) that ‘s directly relevant to their situation.

4. Present with Brevity

Oscar Wilde was quoted as saying “Brevity is the soul of wit.” It ‘s also the soul of effective business presentations. Whether you are delivering a keynote address, presenting a proposal to a prospective customer, or introducing yourself to a new employee, the essence of clear communication is brevity.

When you commit yourself to concise, succinct communication it forces you to think through your most important points and to present them without a lot of “fluff” or extraneous information.

We ‘re living in the age of 30-second commercials, and most people expect you to make a point pretty quickly, then move on to your next point, and your next, etc. Lengthy, drawn-out explanations or stories will do nothing but bore most people. So even if you have to deliver fairly intricate, complex information, break it up into information “packets” or “chunks” then make sure each element has “payoff” for the audience.

5. Confirm Understanding

This means a lot more than just asking “Do you understand?” In fact, you can always assume that when you ask employees directly if they understand you, the answer will be “yes” whether or not they really do understand. And you can assume the same thing of customers, because sometimes they don‘t know they don ‘t understand.

You can ask questions that indirectly let you know whether they “get it” without putting them on the spot. Then, if you realize that they in fact don ‘t fully understand what you‘ve been trying to communicate, you now have an opportunity to explain again. But remember, repetition isn‘t communication, and if they didn‘t understand something the first time, don ‘t just repeat yourself - find a new way to present the information.

6. Confirm Acceptance

Understanding and accepting your message are two very different things. An employee may fully understand the basis of your criticism, or a customer may accurately comprehend the logic of your proposal. But that doesn ‘t mean they ACCEPT what you have presented. And again, asking “Do you agree?” isn ‘t an effective method, although that is essentially the information you ‘re after.

Genuine acceptance of a concept presented by management, or by another worker, goes a long way towards ensuring active participation, and harmonious cooperation, in the workplace. Acceptance of the information contained in a proposal goes a long way toward closing a sale. And the key to confirming acceptance is again to ask subtle questions that reveal acceptance without putting the listener on the spot.

7. Advocate Action

Wrap up you communication with a specific “call to action.” This is the moment where you propel your abstract ideas or theoretical knowledge into the world of reality. Good ideas that aren ‘t translated into some sort of action rarely last. And in most cases the action should be two-sided (remember, communication is reciprocal) so you ‘ve got to do you ‘re part as well as ask others to do theirs.

Your first exposure to these ideas may seem a little overwhelming at first, but you ‘ll find that if you focus on them one at a time, letting yourself improve your communication efforts gradually, you ‘ll eventually develop an exceptional ability to communicate in a clear, concise and relevant manner you can be proud of.