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A People-Oriented Business
You are in the people business.
It doesn't matter what your product or service, it is ultimately your people skills that make your product or technical knowledge pay off.
Today Promotional Consultant Today will look at four factors that determine your success with people. These techniques do not require any magic, personality changes or manipulation of any kind. Yesterday we discussed seven quick and easy techniques to improve your people skills.
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TOP SHELF TIP NO. 219
"People need dreams, there's as much nourishment in 'em as food."
Dorothy Gilman, American author of mystery and spy novels | |
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Your Impact
First impressions may not be fair but they are a fact of life. Your first impression to your prospect will have a strong influence on the success of your sale.
Stand in front of a full-length mirror in the clothes that you normally wear to make sales calls. Carry the same materials that you bring with you on your call. How do you think your prospect will see you?
Remember: You only get one chance to make a first impression.
Your Sensitivity
How sensitive are you to the moods and personalities of your prospects? How well are you able to read between the lines? How well do you respond, letting your prospect know that you really do understand?
Your Perception
How perceptive are you to your prospect's problems and needs? Are you conveying to your prospects that you are viewing the situation through their eyes? Are you seeing the same realities that they face?
Your Judgment
How effective are the solutions you offer to solve your prospect's problems or fill their needs? Have you listened, evaluated the situation accurately and offered something that is both practical and on-target?
These four factors help you develop empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in your prospect's shoes -- to see things through his or her eyes. It is empathy that makes the distinction between being people-oriented rather than product-oriented. People buy because they like you.
One Final Point -- Body Language
You may be surprised that the way you sit, gesture, or hold your hands or head can be sending signals to your prospect that you don't mean to send. Your understanding of body language can help you communicate effectively and make you more perceptive of your prospect's moods.
Research the many books that have been written on the subject and understand all there is to know about nonverbal communication.
Remember, you are not in the product business; you are in the people business.
Source: Roy Chitwood is an author, trainer and consultant in sales and sales management and is president of Max Sacks International, Seattle. | |
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Copyright 2005-2007 Promotional Consultant Today. All Rights Reserved. |
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