The
Secret To Sales Marketing Success
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Many areas of selling that I’ve studied and
taught to others are rarely, if ever, known and used in the
world of professional selling. One of those is the science of
social dynamics - before I ever began learning it myself and
including it in my training, I’d never before seen it used in
sales.
Social dynamics is the science of using
nonverbal sub-communication to influence others. What does this
include? The primary elements of our nonverbal
sub-communication are body language, vocal tone, inflection and
volume, eye contact, movement and carriage of the body, and
other subtle but important elements.
The consequences of not using proper social
dynamics in your sales interactions are severe, and most of us
don’t even know we’re doing anything wrong because we haven’t
been taught. The situation is much like cold calling -
salespeople who cold call only do so because they don’t know
any alternatives. However, by not paying attention to our
social dynamics, we unknowingly give our power away to
prospects, let them have control of sales appointments, create
an impression that we are not successful, give prospects the
“gut feeling” that they should not buy from us … all
unknowingly.

So, that said, what can we do to make sure
we don’t short-circuit all of our efforts by using improper
social dynamics? Following is a brief and very basic - but
highly effective - checklist of things you need to watch out
for while selling:
1. Body
language.
(This isn’t easy to explain without pictures
so bear with me!) Be careful not to lean in to prospects when
talking with them. Leaning in sub-communicates weakness and
submission. Lean back when you are in front of prospects. This
sub-communicates that you are the leader, are in control, and
will cause prospects to be more willing to follow your lead and
buy. In addition, you should never face a prospect more than
they are facing you. In other words, if a prospect is not
facing you straight-on while sitting or standing, you should be
turned away just a degree more than the prospect is turned away
from you. It is okay to face a prospect straight-on only after
they have fully turned to face you directly. If you face them
directly before they do so to you, you are sub-communicating
neediness and submission. However, by allowing the prospect to
do so first, they are automatically placed in the submissive
role and will be much easier to close.
2. If you cannot
hear a prospect, never lean in directly when they repeat
themselves.
Instead, turn sideways, so that your ear is
facing the prospect, but your face is turned away. This allows
you to hear the prospect better but without taking a weak
stance.
3. Your
voice.
The single most important thing you can do
to be a more effective salesperson is to have a powerful,
commanding voice. Like a firm handshake, an impressive vocal
presence sub-communicates power and leadership and will cause
prospects to be much more willing to buy from you. Practice
speaking louder in your everyday communications. You don’t want
to yell or strain; instead, focus on speaking from your core,
your abdomen, which will result in the commanding voice you
need to have to be effective.
Imagine a general who speaks powerfully, but
without yelling or straining. This is what you should strive
for. I achieved this by simply talking that way all the time.
An added benefit is that you will automatically become an
excellent public speaker by having this talent, which you can
then leverage into more sales by volunteering to speak at
networking events, chamber of commerce meetings, and other
“target-rich” environments. It will also be a necessary skill
should you wish to go into sales training or public speaking
later in your career, a choice that is available to all
successful salespeople.
4. Your
presence.
This is closely related to body language,
but has more to do with posture than with positioning yourself
in front of prospects. For example, weak people are afraid of
infringing on others’ personal space, so they keep a small
presence. Avoid this by standing with your feet at least a foot
apart, leaning back slightly, and having your shoulders back
and chin up. This is a powerful stance that sub-communicates
leadership and confidence. The same rules hold true while
sitting - keep your feet flat on the floor (no crossed legs),
with your arms spread wide rather than holding them close
together. Unless you are sitting with your arms on the desk,
lean back in your chair while speaking. Again, you’re
demonstrating command of the situation by doing so.
What about pacing the movements of your
prospect? Don’t do it. This is one of those “old, right
answers” from the old school of selling that is now wrong. Most
prospects can pick up on this because it’s been done to them so
many times before, and, what’s worse, why would you want to
pace your prospects’ mannerisms when you run the risk of
reflecting their own weak body language? In addition, it shows
a lack of independence, which is the biggest killer of the
powerful, confident persona you want to demonstrate in
appointments.
Finally, remember that this is not a
competition. These suggestions are not given with the intent to
rule your prospects. They simply allow you to present yourself
as a powerful leader whose advice should be taken, and the end
result is that prospects will feel extremely comfortable with
entrusting their business to you. Follow these tips, and your
close rates will suddenly explode!
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About
The Author
Jim Klein
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