Holidays and peer pressure among adults

"You're going to the company party, aren't you? Everyone who is important will be there. You have to come!"  "Come to the bar with us for this holiday fling, just a couple of drinks after work!"  "Have a few of these wonderful cookies! They just have a few calories; you can skip your diet just this once!"  Is this scenario, of peer pressure around the holidays, common at your workplace?

Peer pressure is a form of persuasive communication. If you want to bow out gracefully, thank the person for the invitation, say you won't be able to come,  and immediately steer the topic to a safer subject, such as complimenting the other person on a wonderful outfit or project, and asking a follow-up question or two. The keys with this strategy are to plan ahead to determine an acceptable reason you cannot do what they want, and quickly change the topic.

How to be more persuasive in sales

A salesperson of a financial product met with a potential client, at her request. He asked her to bring some information with her.  The information was beautifully presented, with relevant facts neatly arranged.  The  potential client had spent a lot of time in preparation, and was proud of her efforts.  She casually mentioned something about the work she had done. The salesperson did not say a word. Later, she twice asked questions about the commission; the salesperson evaded the question both times.  She was confused about some of the terminology used, and looked puzzled. The salesperson did not notice, so she  had to verbally ask him to explain. Finally, testing his communication skills further, she gave him a direct compliment about how well he had explained one concept, and he beamed with pride.

He tried to close for an immediate sale, but she demurred. She wanted an independent review of the financial product, convinced that she was not being told everything.

Here are the skills the salesperson missed.

1. Notice more than the words; hear the emotions being expressed.  Listen for a sense of pride or effort, especially if it has to do with preparing for your presentation, and compliment the potential client on it! This could be paperwork prepared as requested, a room arranged as requested, or even refreshments that are ready.

2. Answer questions the first time they are asked, and answer them fully. For example, if it involves compensation, don't say, "The client doesn't pay. There's a commission arrangement between company A and company B." Most clients want to know more, such as the commission rate, which is relevant as it affects their product. Payment of some sort is expected, but an exceptionally high payment may be of concern.  Evasion of answers causes mistrust, and will affect sales or other persuasion. The client knows that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" and that directly or indirectly, he or she will be paying your commission.

3. Avoid jargon, especially if your client is in another field or you are explaining something technical. Plain common English is essential. Literally practice your talk in front of someone from another field, and have the listener write down all the technical words or other jargon you used. Then try again with simpler words, and at a slighter slower rate of speech. In addition, watch the prospective client's face to see if he looks puzzled. If so, immediately ask if he has any questions. Communication, especially in sales, is a two way street. You should continually be getting verbal and non-verbal feedback from the client so you know how to proceed.
4. If you promise something for listening to you, such as a greater knowledge of a topic or how to improve something, make certain your audience gets what you promised.  If you use technical words that your audience does not understand, they haven't gotten  the information they expect, and this could also cause mistrust. Make certain you use language at a level they can comprehend.

Excellent communication skills will enhance your ability to sell and to persuade. Hear the emotions, answer questions fully, avoid jargon and technical terms, and provide whatever you promised as part of your effort to make communication a two-way process and build trust. Without some level of trust, there is no business transaction.

Business Speech Improvement provides individual coaching in verbal skills.

You only have one chance to make a great first impression.

Better Business Communication Day: the most important letter in "persuasion"

                             

        Better Business Communication Day: the most important letter in "persuasion"

Better Business Communication Day is January 20, 2014.  Much of business involves persuading others, or being persuaded (or not) by others. Here are some tips on how to persuade others, or to detect when others are trying to persuade you.

We persuade when we appeal to someone else's interests. For example, in his incredible speech, "I Have A Dream", Dr King spoke about the struggles that some of the listeners had gone through recently, such as coming out of jail. He also spoke about their common experiences in America.

In business, consider the concerns and needs of the person you are persuading. Does your supervisor want more prestige, lower operating costs, or higher productivity? Does your customer want less hassle, a more user-friendly device, or quicker service? These factors are usually grouped into more

(pleasure) or less (pain).

If you are being persuaded, try asking these four questions. First, what are the disadvantages to the proposed action? Second, do all the pieces of the proposed solution fit together, such as the vendors, time-frame, employee scheduling, and customer expectations? Third, ask if there is anything else you should know about this situation. Fourth, listen carefully for the persuader's emotional overlay, such as fear, excitement or frustration; ask how he feels about this and why. Then, say nothing for a few seconds. This will often bring forth additional information from the persuader.

So what's the most important letter in "persuasion"? Why, "u", of course!

This information is summarized from page 16 of the Executive Communication Techniques, an e-book by Business Speech Improvement. This tip-filled e-book offers techniques from 18 different vital communication needs of today's executive. Get the e-book now and be better prepared for work tomorrow!

Decision-making: A vs B - What if There's a C?

                         

A favorite technique of people who want you to make a decision is to offer you two choices, A or B.

Professionals in many fields use this method. Do you want to meet on Monday or Wednesday at 2 PM?

Do you want to try treatment X or Y? Do you want to study your spelling or your history first?

Think beyond the box, though. Consider if there is a third option that for some reason the person is not mentioning.  For example, in the case of a medical treatment, is there a third process such as physical therapy that might be an equally effective option for a given problem?  Is there some reason the person is only offering you two choices and has not mentioned a third one, such as a business person having a financial interest in the two options discussed?

This critical listening question is similar to the 10 that are discussed on page 16 of the tip-filled Executive Communication  Strategies, the e-book you'll wish your boss had read! Learn techniques ranging from appreciation to critical thinking and persuasion, 18 different subjects in all. Find out more here!

Sales Communication: Three Errors You Don't Want to Make

As a salesperson, your first job is to match up the customer with the right product, or to determine the prospect is not right for any of your products. Then you need to close the sale with the customer. Here are some major errors novice salespeople make. 1. Don't focus on the features (such as the product's size, ability to do it X times faster, or array of buttons). Instead, focus on the customer's needs, such as a need for ease of use, rapid delivery time, or ability to fit into a tiny space. You will only find out the needs if you ask well-chosen questions, such as "What type of features are you searching for?" When getting to know the customer, immediately start asking him or her questions, which gets the customer involved and focused on the conversation. This is especially crucial with telephone conversations, because the customer may be doing computer work (or other things) without you being aware of it. Asking questions lets you know whether there is a potential fit between the product and customer. 2. Don't talk too long at one time. Always keep involving the customer. In a recent sales telephone call made to me by a nervous and inexperienced salesperson, the person spoke for over 30 minutes. As I was not in a rush, was doing something else while she spoke and was curious as to how she was going to handle this sales call, I patiently listened. However, 99.9% of the time, the customer would have hung up long before that point. 3. Don't speak spontaneously and also don't read from a script. Speaking totally spontaneously may mean a poorly chosen flow of words or a bad example. It may result in making you sound incompetent. However, reading from a script may make you sound mechanical. Few people can read with such wonderful expression that you sound spontaneous. Instead, if your company allows it, memorize the talking points or other crucial items and flow, while using your own words. This is a happy medium. Business Speech Improvement provides coaching in verbal communication skills. Visit us online to see our coaching and e-book options!

A tale of two salesmen

I had the great fortune to sit next to a professional fund-raiser today. I asked him the the secret of his success, and he said, "It's all in the listening. I ask them what matters to them, I listen to their emotions, and then I put all that together in a proposal." He repeated, "It's all in the listening." Later in the day I called a company to ask about getting an expensive service. I told the salesman what I needed, stressing that convenience was important in this case. He told me the way the company worked, which was definitely not customer-friendly but was employee-convenient. I told him why I needed it be more convenient to me, and he said "We don't do it that way." Case closed, sale lost, employee clueless. Are you in the business of selling ideas, services or products, informally or as a profession? Remember the fund-raiser's words: "It's all in the listening." Knowing what matters to your prospect helps you emphasize vital points that will make a sale. As for the emphatic "We don't do it that way", that leads to closing of the wallet! Business Speech Improvement provides intensive training in verbal skills, including sales and executive communication skills. Training options include in-person coaching and convenient e-books! Check us out at www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com  .

How to persuade, with one simple word

I recently received a long set of instructions to submit an item to a company. The instructions did not make much sense to me, as a consumer. Researchers know that one way to persuade people is to tell them a reason for taking a specific action. "You need to do this because _____" has been shown to increase people's willingness to take action. The reason chosen must be important to the specific listener. The next time you need to persuade someone, give a reason that will be meaningful to that person. For example, a young mother might welcome increased convenience, a teen might prefer decreased parental supervision, and a boss might be delighted by lower costs and higher output. "Because" is such a simple word, but it can have a powerful impact! Try using it...because it makes a real difference. Business Speech Improvement provides intensive coaching and concise e-books on many aspects of verbal communication.

Persuasion and Your Voice

Do you want to become a more competent persuader? Your voice can help you do it.

Several techniques can help you. First, speak at a normal volume, but at the crucial point, speak slightly softer.
(This only helps if your listener has normal hearing or you are using a microphone!) It sounds to your listener like you are conveying a secret, and he will pay more attention.

Second, pause briefly right before the crucial point. This also helps focus the listener's attention.

Third, change your rate of speech at that point. Speak slower if the information is complicated for the listener to understand. Speak slightly faster if this is urgent, such as pleading with people to stay away from the area of an accident.

If your voice is normally mono-tonal, and lulls people to sleep, speak with more energy and enthusiasm. Be excited about what you are saying!

Business Speech Improvement provides coaching for better communication. Check out our e-books, open enrollment seminars and individual coaching options!

How to remember more of what you hear or see

The next time you sit in a boring presentation, lecture or meeting, try some of these techniques to help you get more out of the experience.

1. Repeat the fact in your mind. Imagine you are saying them.
2. Visualize the facts or situation. Pretend you see them on a movie or computer screen.
3. Ask yourself questions about the information. Think of ones that begin with "wh", such as who, what, when, etc.Try to answer them by the end of the talk.
4. Write out 5 important words used in the concept. Using the first letter of each word, come up with a sentence to help you remember them all.
5. If someone is trying to persuade the group, think about why this action is being recommended. Who or what benfits from this course of action?

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Speech
"Speech" means different things to people. So, the tips below try to cover a variety of needs.
5. When meeting strangers at a party or conference, think about what you have in common with them, and come up with a statement plus a question ahead of time. For example, "This is a great party! How do you know (the host)?" or "What do you do for the organization?"
4. If you give presentations, remember that you have just 30 seconds to capture your audience's attention. Use startling statistics, a surprising fact or a 2-3 sentence story to start your talk. Then say your name.
3. If you have a strong accent that impedes clear communication, speak slower and keep paper nearby to write any words that your listener does not understand.
2. When your speech is not understood, use a synonym, such as "excellent" for "very good".
1. To help you persuade others, remember the acronym WIIFM, "what's in it for me". Why should someone do what you want done? Will it save frustration or money, increase productivity or make it easier to meet goals?

For more great tips, check out Business Speech Improvement's economical e-books! Business Speech Improvement also provides intensive coaching.

Following Up: Establishing Trust

As professional persuaders, one of your most important skills is establishing trust with prospects, employees, and internal/external customers. After all, as one wag phrased it, "I don't care how much you know, if I don't know much you care." One way to establish that caring is by following up on your promises to get back to them on time, especially in the beginning. After all, why destroy a promising relationship that has barely begun?

If getting back to people on time is tough, write reminders to yourself on your planner or scheduler. You can also write notes on the back of their business cards about precisely what you promised to do.

Business Speech Improvement (www.BusinessSpeechImprovement.com) provides intensive coaching on sales and executive communication skills. Individual and group classes can be scheduled on request, and can include training for the "organizationally challenged".

Business Speech : Persuasion

Whether your job title is manager, CEO, recruiter, therapist, or something else, you may do a lot of persuading in your job. How successful you are depends in part on two skills.

The first is your grasp of what someone terms "radio station WIIFM", or "what's in it for me".
Do you emphasize the benefits that will appeal to the other person first? For example, if you are recruiting someone, do you ask "what are you looking for in a position?" and then mention those benefits first? If you are persuading your boss, do you consider his priorities, whether increased speed or decreased costs?

The second skill is your ability to do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. If you set a deadline of getting back to someone by 4 PM on Wednesday, do you do it, or call the person to explain the problem and set a new deadline? Ignoring your own promises teaches others not to trust your word.

Business Speech Improvement provides Executive Communication Coaching and Sales Communication Training. Both are available for groups and individuals. More information is available at http://businessspeechimprovement.com/enabler/scripts/category.pl?Classes.

Selling with Questions

Are you trying to persuade people to take a job, buy a product, or accept an idea? Try asking what they want in a perfect product or position before starting your sales pitch! For example, if you are trying to recruit a new employee, ask if the hours, benefits, chance to advance, the pay or some other aspect of the work is the most important. If you are selling televisions, ask about size, picture quality, ease of use or cost is most essential. Then start with that information. Your listener will appreciate the fact that you asked, and will listen closely as you address his most important concern first.