Communications covers a wide area, but the basic skill involves getting your thoughts or ideas across to another party. Everyone in business today is in effect a salesperson. Whether you’re selling yourself to your current boss, potential boss, clients, or customers, the basics of selling remain the same. The best salespeople are those who use persuasive communications to help the buyer discover the connection between their needs and the product the salesperson is offering. Here are four basic principles of persuasive communications.
1. We communicate in many different ways
Do you have a nervous habit that you always carry with you? Do you bite your nails or twist your fingers into knots? We communicate through body language. In addition, what you say, how you say or how you talk is also important. Your tone of voice says a lot about you.
Millions of dollars are spent every year by marketing experts on design and packaging. They know that the way a product is presented has a lot ot do with how it is accepted. The same goes for us. When we sell ourself to people, our physical and verbal impression means a lot to our customers, those people whom we associate with, our friends, our colleagues and business partners.
2. People respond from their point of view, based on past experience
Languages develop differently in different parts of the world because of each culture’s unique circumstances. All communications depends on your point of view. Words mean different things to different people.
Effective selling requires effective communication, so be sure that you are communicating in the way you intend. If you describe yourself as a workaholic, for instance, one potential boss may see it as a positive trait, while another may see it as negative. Be sure to express yourself clearly and precisely.
3. People respond according to their needs not yours
This is an essential rule of successful selling. When you go to buy a car, you go because you want to or need a new car — not because the salesperson wants to sell it to you. If you don’t want that car, it’s going to be a very difficult sale.
4. The only way to find out where people are coming from and what their needs are is through a planned process of questioning and active listening
Asking the right question will get you the information you need when you need it. People love to answer questions — they feel compelled to answer them. People automatically pay more attention to a question than they do to a statement. Even the shyest person will respond to a question directed at him; ask the right question and you’ll wonder why you ever thought he was shy!
Knowing how to listen will allow you to receive information as it is intended to be communicated. Epictus, the Greek philosopher, once said,”God has wisely given us two ears and one mouth so we may hear twice as much as we speak.” The way you communicate says a lot about you; especially when you are in the process of marketing yourself. We communicate in obvious ways and ways that are not so obvious; all of these ways can be studied, practised and mastered.
1. We communicate in many different ways
Do you have a nervous habit that you always carry with you? Do you bite your nails or twist your fingers into knots? We communicate through body language. In addition, what you say, how you say or how you talk is also important. Your tone of voice says a lot about you.
Millions of dollars are spent every year by marketing experts on design and packaging. They know that the way a product is presented has a lot ot do with how it is accepted. The same goes for us. When we sell ourself to people, our physical and verbal impression means a lot to our customers, those people whom we associate with, our friends, our colleagues and business partners.
2. People respond from their point of view, based on past experience
Languages develop differently in different parts of the world because of each culture’s unique circumstances. All communications depends on your point of view. Words mean different things to different people.
Effective selling requires effective communication, so be sure that you are communicating in the way you intend. If you describe yourself as a workaholic, for instance, one potential boss may see it as a positive trait, while another may see it as negative. Be sure to express yourself clearly and precisely.
3. People respond according to their needs not yours
This is an essential rule of successful selling. When you go to buy a car, you go because you want to or need a new car — not because the salesperson wants to sell it to you. If you don’t want that car, it’s going to be a very difficult sale.
4. The only way to find out where people are coming from and what their needs are is through a planned process of questioning and active listening
Asking the right question will get you the information you need when you need it. People love to answer questions — they feel compelled to answer them. People automatically pay more attention to a question than they do to a statement. Even the shyest person will respond to a question directed at him; ask the right question and you’ll wonder why you ever thought he was shy!
Knowing how to listen will allow you to receive information as it is intended to be communicated. Epictus, the Greek philosopher, once said,”God has wisely given us two ears and one mouth so we may hear twice as much as we speak.” The way you communicate says a lot about you; especially when you are in the process of marketing yourself. We communicate in obvious ways and ways that are not so obvious; all of these ways can be studied, practised and mastered.
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