As a Sales Manager with over 20 years of sales experience I have learned intuitively how to 'read' people in a sales situation. I know whether I am 'getting through' or not with a prospect. I sense if I am 'on the same wave length' or not. It just feels right when I am, and it's obvious when I'm not. So why don't our sales people always understand this?
One of the most frequently asked questions I have heard from sales managers over the last 26 years is, 'How can I get my sales people to understand how to 'tune in' to their prospect and 'read' what's really going on in their mind'?
How can I get my skills into their heads?It's a good question and the solution is pretty simple, if first YOU understand what's really going on, when one person is 'in—tune' with another, or on their 'wave—length'.
Your sales people don't have to be 'mind readers'.The skills that you have developed over the years that enables you to intuitively 'read' people, is actually a combination of a number of things and you can teach them to your people. Firstly, it's an understanding of...
- Body language
Only about 7% of all communication is the words we use. 38% is the tonality, the pace and the way we use the words, while more than 55% of communication is body language. You have probably learned this skill intuitively over the years, and your sales people can learn it too and it doesn't need to take years. They can learn 'on purpose' how to read their prospect's body language, and how to use their own body language to build trust, credibility and rapport fast.
- Rapport
Rapport is a funny thing. Some people instinctively know how to build rapport, while others haven't got a clue. Some people can't even pick up when they are not in rapport or they are losing rapport. Again it's a skill that can be developed fast and on purpose.
Finally, the third skill you have probably developed without knowing it, is the ability to...
- Understand how to sell to different behavioral styles
Different prospects are different, because of the unique behavioral style that each of them has developed. This behavioral style now dictates how they now like to communicate, how they like to be sold to, and how they like to negotiate. This is why your sales people cannot use a 'standard presentation' these days with every prospect. Not if they hope to be effective with all the different types of prospects they encounter.
Different prospects need different communication stylesFor example, some of their prospects are fast paced, direct and bottom line oriented. We call this one 'The Director'. They need a no nonsense, fast paced presentation that delivers the facts quickly. They don't suffer slow paced, wishy—washy sales people who want to talk about the football and the family.
Yet there are some prospects who do want to talk about the football and their family. Not only that, but they want to know about you as a person, what your values are, and whether you care about the people issues that are involved in what is being proposed. We call these the 'Relaters'.
So what if your sales people use the wrong approach?Time will be lost and in most cases, so will the sale. However understanding how to sell to different styles of prospects and buyers is a skill that can be learned by your people, and fast.
As a Manager we can help our sales people to develop these skills.
When we do, they will cut their selling time, close more business and develop better on—going relationships with their prospects. There are books and seminars on how to develop these skills, so if you are not up with them, I'd suggest you get a hold of them.
As Managers we need to know how to manage these different behavioural styles as well.
That's because on our sales team we have most, if not all of the 4 common behavioural styles. Each of the 4 needs to be motivated and communicated with in a different manner, if we are to get the best performance out of them.