In sales, the way you say something can be more important than what you say. Having strong communication skills is crucial for anyone in sales. A few key elements of good communication will help make sure your message gets through and that you close the sale.
Here are some effective communication skills that are also basic techniques of communication. These techniques should be practiced until they are mastered. If you are able to communicate effectively, you will spend much less time worrying about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it.
Be enthusiastic. Enthusiastic sales reps will make a sale more often than an apathetic or disconnected salesperson. Your confidence shows your customer that you believe in your product or service. If you believe in your product or service, then that makes your customer more likely to also believe in your product or service.
Keeping your customers completely engaged is another good communication technique to master. Imagine Ben Stein giving your sales pitch, and remember that your customer can’t handle monotone, dry salespeople either.
Make good eye contact. Eye contact means that you care about the person and value them as a human being. This lets your customer know that they are appreciated for their business. Eye contact is also a sign of trust and those who do not make eye contact can make the other party feel weary and unimportant.
Refrain from speaking too quickly. In your effort to be enthusiastic and confident, you might find that your customer is having a hard time keeping up with your fast pace. Conversely, a slow pace can cause a customer to lose interest. Mastering the art of setting and keeping an appropriate conversation pace will set the base for effective communication between you and your client or prospect.
While the above techniques are very important, understanding your products or services is also crucial. You do not want to be that salesperson that is asked many questions about your product or service and your response is always, “I will get back to you.” Keep your depth of knowledge up to date. Keep your mind sharp so that you can answer any questions that the customer may have. If for some reason you can’t answer their questions, make sure your responses are clear, appropriate, and demonstrate a commitment to find out the answer. You should be able to answer any question that is asked with confidence.