It is well known that your ability to communicate will help to give you a solid base to be an exceptional sales professional.  It won’t make you the consummate professional, but it will enhance your ability to perform.  I feel that the professional, in sales or otherwise, who communicates well and also has a “fire in the belly”, has the potential to outperform other professionals.

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Communications and the ability to spin the spoken word is a true asset.  It is an art and a skill that will never abandon you as you go forward, and it will also transform your confidence levels. In this post, we are going to make a suggestion that you find comfort in your ability to “stand and deliver” by rehearsing and practicing frequently.  Know well your strengths and weaknesses and improve to a level that puts you on another level.

Practice, Practice, Practice

I bet that you feel the most boring activity that you feel that you can do is to repeatedly practice your verbal delivery, but I am compelled to advise you to do it.  What I am saying is that you cannot perfect something without the requisite practice.  As a sales professional, everything from your introduction, through your ‘elevator pitch’ (Black Sales Journal 8/11/2011, Know Your Elevator Pitch), to your proposal and your close should be smooth.  There should be no fillers and little chop to your delivery.

So what am I saying?  Do everything necessary to improve your delivery.   Videotape yourself using digital cameras, web cams or otherwise giving speeches and presentations until you have solved you’re your need for ‘fillers’ and until you have reduced any ‘choppiness’.  We have all heard the suggestion that we should be able to sell any object using feature-benefit selling, now is your chance to practice.  Not knowing your material lends to more pauses and fragmentation.  Here is your chance to, while in private, present and evaluate your delivery, and improve.

You can bet that if you videotape, you will find things that you will want to change.

These may include:

• Frequent use of  “Umm” as well as “and uh”
• The annoying use of the phrase “You Know”
• Frequent starting of sentences with “Well…”
• Improper usage of the word “like”
• Talking at “break speed”
• Exhibiting an “I” problem (talking about yourself too much)
• Inclusion of slang and even obscene language

In a very short time I have seen professionals remove “you know” from their delivery even without the videotape.  Consciousness is important, and you will become even more aware if you use your phone, your computer webcam, or a video camera as your observation tool.

With the help of your recording session, you will become quite conscious and truly internalize it, reducing annoying habits, and improving delivery.  It is worth the experiment.

Who Do You Like to Hear?

There are many great speakers out there, and you may find one that you want to model after.  If you are just the best YOU that you can be, that should work for you.

The basic objective of this exercise is to improve your delivery during the sales process, and you will find that it will carry over into your personal conversations as well.

It is sound to model after someone, but you must be realistic.  Almost all great speakers have some weakness or flaw, no matter how accomplished they are.  You are looking to improve the quality of your delivery.  You don’t want to preach, but you need to be able to deliver the ‘word’.  You don’t want to sound like a professor, but you want to sound intelligent.  Lastly, you don’t want to sound like a funeral director, so you must use some personality, humor, and personality.

Almost as good as the videotape for the sake of monitoring is a “partner” or even a listening coach could do the trick if the right person is available.

The Result

There was a sales professional I worked with for several years ago.  He had a nervous, high-pitched laugh that became pronounced when he got …nervous.  He could not hide it, or at least it appeared  he had no chance of controlling it.  We had a call together, and as the account was a big one, and he felt pressed.  I can remember the call as if it were yesterday, the laugh echoing in my ears.  I was only hoping that the buyer was not as negatively affected by it as I was.

When it was over I thought about it over and over, and decided that I needed to talk to the individual as we, undoubtedly would be on a call together at some point in the future.  He did know that it was happening, and did not know how often he was doing it.  I could not put into words for him how much it was happening.  There were few video cameras, and cell phones did not possess the abilities that they do now.  I limited the calls with our clients when possible for this individual, as there were no remedies out there.  This laugh was not going to stop.  Yes…I am saying that some things are deeper than just an ‘I know’, but most can be remedied.  After our discussion he made some changes, and sounded much better.  Maybe at this point in his professional career he has conquered this issue.

Practice definitely makes perfect!  Smooth your delivery and sharpen your skills.  Your relationships and sales will show it!

Your comments are welcome.

You can reach me by email at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.

Your relationship with your spouse or significant other is a focal point in your life. You are familiar with them, and they know you, yet you are wise enough (if you are smart) to constantly show how you feel and at the same time hold up your end of the relationship by doing the perfunctory tasks like paying bills, keeping up the residence, and providing income and services for the family.

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You do thoughtful things like bring home flowers, prepare a special meal, present small, thoughtful gifts and keep yourself in the mind and the heart of that special person.

This is what you need to do for your best clients as well. You need to do your job and at the same time do unanticipated acts that show them they are the focus of your efforts.

This sounds corny, but give it some thought.  So many sales professionals look for the new sale, and forget that your best future customers are your current customers.  The current customer’s tendency to by new products, sign-on for subsequent years, and give good referrals to people looking for your product makes your customer a valuable asset even past helping to increase your income.

The 5 Random Acts

Customer retention is important in any sales operation.  Those sales professionals who have solid customer retention are going to experience higher sales and more consistent earnings, along with more opportunities for growth.  Black sales professionals need to “wall off” their most important customers even more vigorously than other professionals: BSJ 4/11/2011-“Wall Off” Your Most Important Customers shows us some ways to do it.

As stated before, and no different than any interpersonal relationship, this is your chance to stay in front of your customer.  Here are some ways how:

• Small thoughtful gifts
• Cards and letters
• Refer some of your other customers to your customer when possible – and let the customer who is the beneficiary know it
• Business entertainment w/your upper management
• Share relevant clippings and articles from web and print – with a note

Small Thoughtful Gifts – These gifts should be inexpensive, and in good taste designed to show thought.  Example – Buying a customer a $12.00 frame that will house the picture of him/her and you at the latest outing, fishing trip, etc.  This works, and the customer will not toss the frame, or re-gift it usually if the picture is in the frame.  Know your companies gift policy and check this out: BSJ – Entertainment and Gift Giving Etiquette 11/17/2011

Cards and letters – Almost a lost art, but extremely effective and quite inexpensive.  Use very good stationary and cards, and read how it is most effective here: BSJ – Make Yourself Memorable 2/3/2011

Refer your other customers to this customer – The key is to let him know it.  Make sure that you get your mileage from it.  There is nothing more of an endorsement for your customer than for you to send some of your other valued relationships to them.  Have them call your customer contact directly, and advise them to ‘drop’ your name in the first line of the conversation.

Business entertainment with your company leadership – You may not consider it a treat to ‘break bread’ with your company’s management that often, but you would be amazed at how this brings your customer closer to your organization.  Customers love the attention, and in most organization’s the policies require that the management pick up the tab in stead of you.  Don’t under estimate this one as it can help to lock-up the customer, and endear you to management as well. Check this one out - BSJ – Is Your Sales Manager Managing? 10/17/2011

Share relevant clippings and articles from web and print – with a note – Show the customer that you are thinking about him/her frequently by sharing important information about products, economics, the marketplace and other information from the web, or print.  Keep them informed or someone else will.  Be the expert, and anticipate the client’s need for information.

Strengthening the Bond

Why are these effective?  This one is simple:  They strengthen the relationship.  Remember that in sales ‘relationships are everything’.  It is obviously a topic that I cover often in Black Sales Journal and is discussed further in BSJ – Revisited – Deepening Your Customer Relationships 11/11/2011.

Take a moment to put some of these suggestions to the test.  Strengthen the bond and deepen the relationship, then reap the benefits.  You cannot lose if you do.

Always master the relationship!

Your comments are appreciated. You can reach me at Michael.Parker@BlackSalesJournal.com.