Effective communication skills are essential to
successful business development. Yet
they're often under-emphasized and sometimes completely ignored. Why?
Because we communicate so much and so often (approximately 20,000 words
per day) we often take it for granted.
But regardless of how good your product or service is and how much
expertise you have in your area, it all goes to waste unless you can
communicate it to others. When you
actually get the chance to sit down with a potential client and discuss doing
business together, don't blow it by committing one of these big five business
development blunders.
1. Talking about your product or service. Infodumping is simply telling someone all
there is to know about what you're selling.
You probably cover how long you've been in business, who developed what,
your philosophy of business, your market share and all the choices you have
available. This approach is likely to
leave the potential client in exactly the same place on the sales continuum as
when you started. Your objective should
be to get him to gravitate towards you.
Go into your meeting with a strategic goal.
What specifically do you want him to know, do or believe
after meeting with you. Is it to place
an order, sign up for a trial or believe you're the only logical choice? Once
you have a strategic goal, your destination is in sight and you can begin
mapping a route to get there.
2. Not listening.
No salesperson has ever listened herself out of a sale.
Yet, when asked a simple question, many salespeople take
it as a license to deliver a monologue. Here are three tips to practice better
listening.
First, use questions to discover what's important. If the potential client says "tell me about
yourself (or your product or service or company)", respond with "what would you
like to know" or "what aspect is most important to you in making a decision?" Second, never talk continuously for more than
a couple of minutes without giving the other person an opportunity to speak.
Third, don't correct the other person unless it's
absolutely essential for the discussion to proceed-it rarely is and no one
likes to be told he's wrong.
3. Using sales clichés.
People usually begin to lose interest the moment they feel they're being
sold. They usually begin feeling that
way when they hear stock phrases such as "That's a great question" or "What
will it take to get your business today?"
People need to feel like individuals, not like pieces in an assembly
line. Sales clichés operate on a
Pavlovian model-use a specific phrase and you'll get the response you
desire. It's manipulative. Try shifting to a consultative approach where
you're seen as a advisor or problem-solver.
4. Failing to adapt to the situation. The problem with using a sales script is that
it assumes too much. It assumes similar
motivators, perspectives and situations in life. A financial planner I know has developed a
very clever approach to meeting clients.
He places bowls near the cash registers of higher-end restaurants in his
territory. On each bowl, he places a
small sign encouraging patrons to drop their business card in for a chance at a
free meal at that restaurant. He goes
through the cards periodically and invites someone to lunch with the
understanding that he'd like a few minutes to talk about his services. When I met him for lunch, he presented his
sales talk that assumed A. I had taken on a big mortgage to finance my house (I
didn't) B. I had to save for a child's college fund (I don't) and C. that my
parents might someday need assisted living care (they're both dead).
Treat each meeting as unique and don't assume too much.
5. Failing to distinguish features from benefits. Salespeople often focus on telling someone
what a product or service is or does at the expense of what problem it solves
or what pain it takes away. I once
observed a commercial leasing agent show office space. As he met the clients in the building foyer,
he commented on the large parking lot outside.
That was a feature statement. A
benefit statement would have focused on how clients would never have to search
for parking or that people could always park close to the building in bad
weather. Let's say your product includes
a video-that's only a feature. The
benefit is that someone can see exactly how to use your product. Apply this test to the statements you
make-ask the "so what" question. If you
can't answer it, you've got a feature rather than a benefit.
Developing good communication skills is a result of
thinking more strategically about how communication affects our interactions
with others, then putting those strategies into play. When you avoid these top five blunders of
business development, you'll not only gain more business, you'll lose
less. Remember, if your idea is
important, it deserves to get heard.
©2004 Peak Communication Performance
***********************************************
Your Bio: As the leading authority on the language of
influence, Dr. Joseph Sommerville shows professionals how to create more
persuasive messages that increase sales, visibility and credibility. He is the President of Peak Communication
Performance (www.peakcp.com), a
Houston-based firm working worldwide to help professionals develop skills in
strategic communication.
Contact him at Sommerville@Peakcp.Com
copyright: YES
