What is one of the most important aspects of sales? It’s not the product or the price. Any guesses? It’s communication. But more specifically, it’s the art of conversation. If every point of contact you make comes across as a sales pitch and nothing more, sales will likely be pretty low. But if you can master the art of conversation, your sales could skyrocket.
So how do you improve your conversation skills? I’ve compiled a list of a few ways to help and with a little practice, you’ll master it in no time.
Body Language
Non-verbal communication is probably more important than the words you say. Body language encompasses everything from raising your eyebrows to hand gestures to the way you are standing or sitting. Even if you are selling over the phone, these things matter because they will come across through the phone by way of your voice, your tone, your inflection. Have you ever spoken to someone on the phone and just knew that they hated their job? That’s probably because they were hunched over in their chair, using a monotone voice with little to no inflection. One the contrary, if you’ve got someone who is smiling, standing at their desk rather than sitting, and has great inflection in their voice, they are the ones with great sales numbers.
Active Listening
Listening is great, but active listening is more than simply listening. Active listening involves giving your full attention, truly hearing what is being said, repeating back in different words, and asking follow up questions to further clarify. This shows that you care about their situation or circumstances and that you are taking the time to understand them rather than just throwing out your sales pitch. When you actively listen, you make them feel like less of a prospect and more like a person. And isn’t that what we all want?
Know Your Product
There is nothing worse than not knowing what you are selling. If you are successful at gaining their interest and they ask questions, you should be able to tell them everything about that product. You should be able to tell them not only how it works, but why it is beneficial, why they need it, and how it will make their lives easier. Be a subject-matter expert. Know the ins and outs of your product. This goes for new features or products recently added as well. You should always be up to date on the latest.
Be up-front about what you don’t know
If, for some reason, you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t lie about it or make something up. This will backfire every time. Be honest about it. Say something like “You know, that’s a really good question. I don’t want to give you wrong information so if you’ll hold on just a moment, I can get that answer for you.” Most people will appreciate that and understand that you are human too. Just don’t let that happen too many times.
Know your competitors
Say you are selling home security systems and your prospect asks what is the difference between your system and your competitors. Be ready! This will come up! You should be able to give them 3 key differences that make your system better. They want to know that you know the industry and the products and that yours is the better choice.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Ask a friend to help you practice or use a mirror. Get feedback on how you are speaking, how you are being perceived by others and whether you are effectively getting your point across. Work on the areas that need improvement. Sales conversation is a skill that will take time to perfect. But with some dedication and hard work, you can do it!
Written by Prospect Boss Team
We cater to Real Estate & Insurance agents but love seeing clients from all industries using our solution successfully. From lead generation and tracking to CRM and data resources, we’ve got the solution for all your dialing needs.
Call our Sales team at 800-662-4009 or send us an email to sales@prospectboss.com
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