SalesMotivation.net

by John Boe

If you’re working hard, but aren’t consistently generating enough
sales and getting referrals, chances are it’s a matter of trust. One
of the most critically important and yet frequently overlooked
aspects of selling is creating a solid foundation of trust and
rapport.

Suppose you could incorporate a few simple, yet highly effective
ideas into your selling process and substantially increase your
bottom line?

Successful salespeople have a knack for making people feel
important. They understand the value of building trust and
rapport early on in the selling process. For you see, it really
doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about your product
line or how many closing techniques you have mastered, unless
you earn your prospect’s trust and confidence you’re not going
to make the sale period.

Once you have established trust and rapport with your prospect,
you actually have the hard part behind you and can anticipate
making the sale. While there’s no system that will work 100
percent of the time with every prospect, fortunately there are
fundamentals you can use that will help you build trust and
rapport quickly.

Gain the Competitive Edge
Whether you like it or not, people form impressions about you
based on such factors as appearance and attitude. When it
comes to building trust and rapport, there is nothing more
important than making a favorable first impression.

It’s important to remember that in most cases, your prospect’s
first impression of you will be made over the phone or from a
voice message you leave.

Here are some suggestions to help you create a favorable first
impression:

1. Show up on time and be well prepared.

2. Maintain a well-groomed appearance and dress appropriately
for your market.

3. Be upbeat and personable without becoming overly familiar.

Adjust to Your Prospect’s Temperament Style
Research indicates people are born into one of four primary
temperament styles: Aggressive, Expressive, Passive or
Analytical.

Each of these four primary temperament styles requires a unique
approach and selling strategy. For example, if you’re selling to
the impatient, aggressive style, they want a short warm up and
expect a quick, bottom line presentation. While at the other
extreme, the cautious, analytical style requires a longer warm up
period and is interested in every detail.

Each of these four behavioral styles can be easily identified by
observing their body language patterns. Once you learn how to
identify each of the styles, you’ll be able to close more sales in
less time by adjusting to your prospect’s preferred buying style.

Understand Body Language
Body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone of
voice. Research indicates that in a face-to-face conversation,
more than 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal.

Our body language reveals our deepest feelings and hidden
thoughts to total strangers. In addition, nonverbal communication
has a much greater impact and reliability than the spoken word.
Therefore, if your prospect’s words are incongruent with his or
her body language gestures, you would be wise to rely on the body
language as a more accurate reflection of their true feelings.

Be mindful of your own body language gestures and remember
to keep them positive by unfolding your arms, uncrossing your
legs and smiling frequently.

Create harmony by “matching and mirroring” your prospect’s
body language gestures. Matching and mirroring is an
unconscious body language mimicry by which one person tells
another they are in agreement.

The next time you are at a social event, notice how many people
are subconsciously matching one another. Likewise, when people
disagree, they subconsciously mismatch their body language
gestures.

An effective way to begin matching your prospect is to subtly
nod your head in agreement whenever your prospect nods his
or her head, or cross your legs when they cross their legs etc.

By understanding the meaning behind your prospect’s body
language, you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know
when it’s appropriate to close the sale.

Use Active Listening Skills
Successful salespeople take notes, listen attentively and avoid
the temptation to interrupt, criticize or argue with their
prospects. It’s a good idea to occasionally repeat your prospect’s
words verbatim. By occasionally restating your prospect’s key
words or phrases you not only clarify communication, but also
build rapport.

During the first fifteen minutes or so of the appointment, you
should listen more than you talk. Keep your attention focused on
what your prospect is saying and avoid the temptation to
interrupt or dominate the conversation. The quickest way to
destroy trust and rapport is to interrupt another person. If you do
interrupt, minimize the damage by apologizing and asking them
to please continue.

Establish Your Credentials
It’s important for you to establish your credentials as an expert in
your industry early on during your initial appointment. Hand out
your business card and or company brochure, then mention two
or three reasons why you like working in your industry and for
your company.

Make sure your marketing materials look professional and are
kept up-to-date. If you conduct appointments in your office, I
recommend you display your awards and certificates of
accomplishment.

Look for Common Ground
Before you begin your sales presentation or demonstration, you
must first “warm up” your prospect and make them feel
comfortable. A great way to establish common ground during the
warm up is to discuss the weather, sports or a local news story.

If you’re meeting your prospect in his or home or office, look at
personal items on display such as pictures or awards. People
enjoy talking about their hobbies and past accomplishments. For
example, if you notice a picture of your prospect holding a big
fish in his or her arms, ask them about it and watch them beam
with pride.

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, your prospects have
many options and are looking for a salesperson that they know
they can trust to work in their best interest.

Salespeople who fail to put an emphasis on developing trust and
rapport actually do a disservice to their customers and in effect,
leave the back door open to their competition. In addition to
generating new sales, developing strong relationships will keep
competitors at arms length and your business on the books!

About the Author

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and
sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales
meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized
sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an
impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have
John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or
call 877 725-3750. Free Newsletter available on website.

Meet John Boe: www.johnboe.com/meetjohn.html

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Category: Sales Training
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