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Listen Intently, And Choose
Your Words Wisely
By Michael Roby
Listening continues to be the largest component of customer communication. Any time you talk to a customer, we are selling. All other things being equal, the banker that listens best is the one who gets the sale, and in the most effective sales presentations, professional salespeople listen sixty to eighty percent of the time. If you follow this guideline then you need to make sure you choose your words carefully for maximum positive impact.
Success in selling results from a number of factors, numbers and averages, and you want to be certain you have all of the odds in our favor. A study conducted at Yale University over a 30 year period of time determined the twelve most persuasive words in the English Language. These words are as follows:
When selling pay attention to presentation structure. For example, you want to begin presentations with the main challenges or problems facing the customer, then a description of how our product of service provides a solution to these problems. Close with a strong call to action. Remember that everything is important, including personal appearance, sales and collateral materials, how we position ourselves in the “Selling Space,” as well as etiquette and manners when we entertain.
If a professional salesperson is speaking only twenty to forty percent of the time, it is common sense that he or she should choose to use words that provide the greatest opportunity to be persuasive and move the prospect to action. We have all heard that you “sell the sizzle, not the steak,” and the mental imagery that we use is made up of carefully chosen words and phrases. Make sure, as Dr. Stephen R. Covey says, to “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” When it becomes time to be understood - to speak - use the twelve most persuasive words to make your presentations even more powerful and effective.
About The Author:
Michael Roby is a nationally known sales and marketing strategist, and professional speaker. Mike helps banks and broker-dealers grow their businesses by helping them build strategic marketing plans and with results-driven sales training. He writes frequently for professional magazines, and is a featured columnist in “Bank Advisor Magazine.” In addition, he is the author of “The Ultimate Small Cap Business; Building a Financial Advisory Practice” (http://www.ultimatesmallcapbusiness.com). Mike’s blog has been listed as one of the top sales and marketing resources on the internet. He can be reached at http://www.michaelroby.com.
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