Communication For Relationship Building: It's Not All Talk
Communication For Relationship Building: It's Not All Talk
Communication For Relationship Building: It's Not All Talk
4-1
Learning Objectives
4-1: Present and discuss the salesperson–buyer communication
process.
4-2: Determine a person’s personality type.
4-3: Discuss and illustrate the importance of using nonverbal
communication when selling.
4-4: Define and recognize acceptance, caution, and
disagreement nonverbal signals.
4-5: Explain ways of developing persuasive communication.
The Core Principles: Communication
• The Core Principles: Communication
– Words
– Body language
– Visual Aids
– Listening
– Unselfishness to help a person make the correct buying decision
4-2
Communication: It Takes Two
• Communication, in a sales context, is the act of transmitting
verbal and nonverbal information and understanding between
seller and buyer.
• Communication:
– Exchange process of sending and receiving messages with some type
of response expected between seller and buyer.
4-3
What Did You Say?
What Did I Hear?
• What you say verbally is not always what you actually mean.
• Graphic demonstrates psychological thought processes of both
the speaker and the listener
4-5
Salesperson-Buyer Communication Process
Requires Feedback
• Eight major communication elements
– Source
– Encoding process
– Message
– Medium
– Decoding process
– Receiver
– Feedback
– Noise
4-5
The Basic Communication Model: Eight Elements
4-8
Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style
4-9
Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style
• People’s personalities affect buying behavior by influencing
the types of products that fulfill their particular needs.
• Personality: The individual’s distinguishing character traits,
attitudes, or habits.
• Why understand personality?
– To adapt your presentation to the buyer’s style
• Thinker
• Intuitor
• Feeler
• Senser
4-9
Adaptive Selling: Understanding Personality
• Why understand personality?
– Salesperson who adjusts his or her sales approach to best meet the
needs (and personality style) of the customer.
4-10
Adaptive Selling: Understanding Personality
• To adapt your presentation to the buyer’s style
– Thinker: Direct, detail-oriented person. Likes to deal in sequence on his/her
time. Very precise, sometimes seen as a nitpicker. Fact oriented.
– Intuitor: Knowledgeable, future-oriented person. Innovator who likes to
abstract principles from a mass of material. Active in community affairs by
assisting in policy making, program development, etc.
Desk Usually neat Reference books, theory books, Personal plaques and Chaos
etc. mementos, family pictures,
Room Usually has a calculator or Abstract art, bookcases, trend Decorated warmly with Usually a mess with piles of
computer output, etc charts, etc. pictures of senses or people. paper etc.
Antiques
Dress Neat and coservative Mod or rumpled current styles or informal No jacket; loose tie, or
functional work clothes.
4-16
Applying Guidelines To Sales Process
Thinker Intuitor Feeler Senser
What will Rapport will probably be Some level of rapport. It will Rapport may be the Rapport will probably be
rapport likely minimal. They will probably be professional and lengthiest of any pretty limited. The
be like? probably be very polite. communication type. It individual may
businesslike and formal will probably more understand that rapport is
in their rapport. socially oriented vs. part of the interaction but
business oriented. You they will want to get to
might expect laughter the point of the
or humor. discussion.
What should Think logic and details. Think creativity, new ideas. Think about the Think about action and
you relationship. pragmatism.
remember They probably have high They might seem guarded
about this expectations of and reserved. You may have They probably enjoy They are action-oriented
type of themselves and the to work very diligently to networking; they might and might seem
person? choices they make. receive feedback. appreciate building impatient. They might be
their network, and seen as focused or
They don’t like to make They enjoy learning new receiving virtual assertive.
bad decisions or make things and stretching their introductions to others.
mistakes. Accuracy and capacities. It’s probably a good idea
attention to detail is They may look not to dive into the
important. They tend to They probably won’t tell you somewhat minutia of details. They
be perfectionists. Don’t they are upset or frustrated, disorganized. are probably pragmatic.
make silly mistakes or but rather keep it to
spelling errors. It will themselves. You need to earn their
impact your credibility. trust. You will not receive
it immediately.
4-17
Applying Guidelines To Sales Process
Thinker Intuitor Feeler Senser
What should They will probably desire: They probably desire: They probably desire: The probably desire:
you remember Being presented with To have a salesperson Some level of social An agenda and action
when you are many precise options who can provide proof or plan for the meeting
preparing your To understand the knowledge they can recommendations Logical
presentation? details learn from from others (i.e. recommendations
An option that meets Understand how you testimonials, Conversations that
all of their criteria. can help them with colleagues and peers, don’t dive into non-
their goals or vision
An organized, detailed
To evaluate multiple market leaders, etc.) strategic minutia
discussion and options A sales conversation A discussion that
presentation. To be a little guarded that is more socially- helps facilitate a
and not provide a based, passionate, and decision
It’s okay to be detailed. great deal of helpful has strong storytelling A recommendation
They probably enjoy being feedback. elements. or set of
immersed in data, analytics To be presented with recommendations
or ensuring they unique solutions that that are tied to action
understand any new system may be difficult to plans, follow-ups, and
or process. execute. assurance you can
make progress
4-18
Watch for Clues to Someone’s Personality Type
4-19
Determining Style Can Be Difficult
• What is the person’s primary style?
• What is the person’s secondary style?
• Does the person’s style comprise all four types?
4-20
First Know Your Style
• This helps you to adapt to the other person’s style
• Which leads to better communication
• Knowing your style helps you identify a person’s style,
especially if your styles are the same (It takes one to know
one.)
4-21
Nonverbal Communication: Watch For It
• Concept of space
– Territorial space: Area around the self that a person will not allow
another person to enter without consent
– Socially acceptable distances of space that people keep between
themselves in certain situation
4-22
Nonverbal Communication: Watch For It
• Why are space considerations
important?
– Violations of space without
customer consent may create a
defense mechanism and barrier
to communication
• Intimate space – 2 feet
• Personal space – 2 to 4 feet
• Social space – 4 to 6 feet
• Public space – + 12 feet
– Space threats – too close
– Space invasion – OK to be close
4-18
Adapting Your Professional Wardrobe
• Business wardrobe depends on:
– Your firm’s dress code
– Work you are conducting
– Whether you are meeting with a customer
– Dress code and culture of your customer.
4-18
Body Language Gives You Clues
• Customers communicate without uttering a word
• Your ability to interpret nonverbal signals critical tool
• And salesperson’s skillful use and control of physical actions,
gestures, and overall body position also valuable
• Buyers sends nonverbal signals via five communication modes
– Body angle
– Facial expression
– Hand movement
– Arm movement
– Leg position
4-19
Body Language Signals: Red, Yellow, Green
4-28
Acceptance Signals (Green Light)
• Acceptance signals – a green
light gives the “go ahead.”
– Indicates buyer willing to listen
and/or buyer may like what is being
said.
• Signals:
– Body angle. Leaning forward or
upright.
– Face. Smiling, pleasant expression,
relaxed, eyes examining visual aids,
direct eye contact, positive voice
tones.
– Hands. Relaxed and generally open
– Arms. Relaxed and generally open.
– Legs. Crossed and pointed toward
you or uncrossed.
4-21
Caution Signals (Yellow Light)
• Caution signals: Gives neutral or
skeptical sign.
• Indicates buyer may be
uncertain, skeptical, concerned.
• Body angle. Leaning away from
you.
– Face. Puzzled, little or no
expression, averted eyes or little
eye contact.
– Arms. Crossed, tense.
– Hands. Moving, fidgeting with
something, clasped.
– Legs. Moving, crossed away from
you.
4-22
Disagreement Signals (Red Light)
• Disagreement signals: Person
may not be interested in your
product
– Body angle. Retracted
shoulders, leaning away from
you.
– Face. Tense, showing anger,
wrinkled face and brow, little
eye contact.
– Arms. Tense, crossed over chest.
– Hands. Motions of rejection or
disapproval, tense and
clenched.
– Legs. Crossed and away from
you.
4-31
What Would You Do?
• You arrive at the industrial purchasing agent’s office on time.
• This is your first meeting. After you have waited five minutes, the
agent’s secretary says, “She will see you.”
• Answer Options:
• She clasps her hands – Green (acceptance)
together and with little nonverbal signal.
expression on her face says – Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
• “What can I do for you?” nonverbal signal.
4-33
What Would You Do? Situation #2
• As you begin the main part • What nonverbal signal is
of your presentation, the she communicating?
buyer reaches for the
telephone and says, “Keep
going; I need to tell my • How would you respond
secretary something.” nonverbally?
• Answer Options:
– Green (acceptance)
nonverbal signal.
– Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
nonverbal signal.
4-26
What Would You Do? Situation #3
• In the middle of your • What nonverbal signal is
presentation, you notice the she communicating?
buyer slowly leans back in
her chair.
• How would you respond
nonverbally?
• As you continue to talk, a
puzzled looks comes over
her face. • Answer Options:
– Green (acceptance)
nonverbal signal.
– Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
nonverbal signal. 4-35
Adapting To Your Buyer
• Mirroring or mimicry:
– When people take part in similar actions at relatively same time (i.e.
within three to five seconds).
– May include mimicking one other’s actions, such as shrugs, their body
position, such as their posture, other actions.
– Provides opportunity to create compatibility and liking
4-28
Encoding Best Practices:
The Sender’s Professional Communication
Encoding: Salesperson converting ideas into language
4-38
Encoding Best Practices:
The Sender’s Professional Communication
4-39
Encoding:
The Sender’s Professional Communication
5. Express enthusiasm, through vocal tone and vocal inflection:
Using varied levels of inflection in voice; vocal tone demonstrates interest in other
person.
4-41
Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Listen Carefully
• Listening helps you understand the
buyer’s needs/concerns
– Hearing vs. Listening
– Listen to words, feelings, and thoughts
4-42
4-43
Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Three Levels of Listening
1. Marginal listening:
– Involves least concentration.
– Listeners easily distracted by their
thoughts.
– Enormous room for misunderstanding
during marginal listening
• 2. Evaluative listening:
– Requires more concentration and
attention to speaker’s words.
– Listener actively hears but doesn’t make
effort to understand intent.
– Doesn’t try to understand; instead
categories statement & concentrates on
preparing a response.
4-45
4-46
4-43
Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont…
• Barriers must be recognized and overcome or eliminated
4-44
Can You Answer?
1. What is the definition of communication, in a sales context?
What are eight elements of a basic communication model?
4-44
Can You Answer?
4. What are four major nonverbal communication channels?
4-44
Psychological thought processes of both the speaker and the listener
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