Because I work in the sales industry, I have the occasion to coach salespeople on their
accomplishments as well as working with them on some of the difficult challenges that
we all face in our daily sales lives. One of the challenges I see, is an inability of
salespeople to get their clients to believe what they say. And, even more so, an inability
to speak the truth.
Your clients have set up a “shield” around them when it pertains to salespeople. Why?
Come on now, we all know why! Do the words intimidation, manipulation, and hype
come up for you? How about embellishment? Or how about the bad experiences your
client has with the assembly of salespeople lined up in the lobby each week. You know
exactly what I mean. Unfortunately for us in sales, our customers have their”past” sales experiences to deal
with.
There are many ways to increase your intimacy-building skills. I’m not speaking in
terms of rapport — every salesperson can build rapport. But only true professionals can
build intimacy with their clients. So, what is an easy way for the salesperson to uplevel
into intimacy with their clients? Well, it is easy as “One, Two, Three!”
That’s correct, One…, Two…, Three! In other words, giving information in the form of
first-party, second-party, and third-party. Here is an easier way for you to remember. If I
tell you about the big fish I caught, you’re not as likely to believe me as you would if
Tony steps up and tells you about my catch. What if Tony told you about my fish and
backed up the story with a photo? Or another way to look at it is, you may not believe me
but you might believe my mother!
Most sales people live in the first-party world — the world of telling their clients from a
first-person platform. Such as “tell the client and, when you get done telling them, then
tell them again.” Well, telling them too many times is redundant and may trigger a past
experience that might have had a negative outcome. Beyond that, it’s HOW you tell them
that will make a difference. Telling them things that come from a first-party platform, in
most cases, will never move you towards closure or intimacy; it will always move you away.
A second-party platform is utilized by salespeople who like to tell stories. Sometimes it
is effective, sometimes it is not; though it is always better than telling something from a
first-party platform. Storytelling can be effective in making points with clients. Clients
who have a socializer or relater type of personality love stories, but clients who have a
director or thinker type personality dislike stories and tend to think you’re too chatty or
taking up too much time. Okay, so it seems like we need to find a better way.
The better way is to speak and share, whenever possible, is from a third-party
platform. Remember, it’s easy as one, two, three. A third-party platform offers evidence
to your client that in almost all cases is quite believable and effective versus information
or speech that comes from a first- or second-party platform. Even better, all the main
types of client personality’s salespeople deal with (directors, socializer, relaters, and
thinkers) are moved towards closure & intimacy through the use of a third-party platform. Using
third-party evidence is a way to uplevel into building intimacy with your clients; not to
mention that it increases your sales strength and position with them.
Chuck’s SalesMastery Believability Scale:
When you present, where do YOU rate with your clients? Low, medium or HIGH believability? It could be as easy as one . . . two . . . THREE!
Now, here is a list of tools that helps build a third-party platform:
1. Newspaper, Magazine, or Internet Documentation
Find articles or information related to your industry that can bolster your position or
product. Prepare them professionally by having them laminated for your presentation.
Scan them to include in your PowerPoint presentations, and leave copies with your
clients. Create a permanent record of these on your web-site.
2. Your Personal Business Website
Your personal track record is important to your clients, so establish a web-site that your
clients can visit, even before your appointment. Again, with the four main personalities
(director, socializer, relater, thinker), they all come to satisfaction through knowing your
personal track record. Your web-site can be a wonderful and inexpensive tool that, when
used properly, can satisfy all four main personality types by providing your personal
track record from a third-party platform. It’s the internet telling them about you versus
you telling them about you. Make sure that when you design your site, that you mix
professional along with family or personal information. This way, no matter what
personality style your client is, they’ll find something of interest on your web-site.
3. Use Visual Impressions
Your client processes visual information 66,000 times faster than auditory
information. So, anytime you can use a photograph, graphics, or a chart, you become
better connected with your client, again building intimacy & clsoing the sale. I share with some of my
audiences, “If your lips are moving, you should be pointing or clicking” meaning that
when you speak to a client, point to an article about a particular subject, or fire up the
internet and refer to information on a web-site that will back you up.
4. A Recorded Voice Message
Have a short (less than five-minute) recorded message that covers the main points about
you, your company, and your product or service. The message could be in the form of a
voice message on a local phone number, it could be a message provided on an 800
number for your long distance clients, or have a “click” on your web-site that allows a
message to be played by the client visiting your site. This is an incredible third-party
convenience that you can offer and, remember, most other salespeople would never take
such a step! What should you put in your recorded message? Three to five minutes of
bullet points that will be meaningful and impactful to your client as it relates to you, and
your products or services. Do hire a professional voice to perform the message!
5. Fast Facts Profile
Create a one-page document that covers the main points about YOU, and your company
and services. Each Fast Fact should be some item that will buy you many points when the
client reads about them. From your educational accomplishments, to sales schools you
have graduated from, to your family background, to the main points and
accomplishments of your company’s products and services, your Fast Facts document
will save you time in building intimacy with your client. Make sure that your Fast Facts
are included in all your initial documentation that you provide to a client, backed up with
a faxable form, and included on your web-site. What do you title the hyperlink? “Fast
Facts” of course! Click HERE on how to make your own Fast Facts Profile!
6. Utilize Your Managers & Corporate Office Staff
Many of you work in a structure that includes some sort of corporate umbrella. Within
that umbrella, in most cases, are managers or staff that are experienced and financially
connected to you. They should be available to help or assist with your clients. It’s
certainly a positive move to allow a manager to have access to your clients in an on-going
intimacy-building discussion, one that regardless of the outcome of the call, the manager
listens to the clients and builds intimacy. Use your managers, let them help you!
7. Testimonials
Testimonials provided from a third-party platform can be a very powerful part of your sales
process. Wherever your career is at, compiling testimonials on yourself and or your
company is another way to build intimacy and build on your own personal track record.
Right now, start a file in which to keep a history of these. Remember, you need to ask for
them to get them. As an example, when I finish speaking to an audience, I have them fill
out a two-page evaluation of my speech. Included in that evaluation is a place for
testimonials.
What to do with testimonials? First off, most of them will have to be condensed into
bullet points. Shorten ‘em up! Then, there are a variety of places they can be used, such
as:
– Your personal web-site
– Your fast-facts profile
– The footer of your outbound e-mails
– Your PowerPoint presentations
– Back of your business card or Main Point Card
By implementing these suggestions into your method of operation, you are virtually
guaranteed a few more sales each month. These skills and techniques are a certain way to
uplevel your selling and intimacy building skills, and they’ll work as long as you
remember…, it’s as easy as one, two, three!
Need Sales Tools?
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Questions and/or Comments?
Please respond to my blog at the bottom of this article!
Higher PROFITS and higher levels of Sales EFFICIENCIES - typical results that are experienced by Chuck Bauer's clients. Chuck has over two decades of sales experience and on a daily basis you will find him consulting with many sales organizations and salespeople nationwide. He is a highly sought after speaker and a member of the National Speakers Association. His information is widely published in many print and internet based publications. He is an instrument rated-private pilot, committed body builder, and mountain biker. Chuck is typically in the following cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Arlington, El Paso and does sales consulting in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Sales Coach Chuck Bauer is on the LOOKOUT for HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL Sales People — Sales Managers, Sales Executives, Event Planners, Business Owners — who want HIGHER PROFITS and EVEN GREATER SALES EFFICIENCY. If you know ANY of these people or companies in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Arlington, or El Paso areas who would be interested in any of Coach Chuck's programs or services, CLICK HERE to find out about Chuck's REFERRAL INCENTIVE BONUS.
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Heidi Howes
Mission Hills, CA
November 7th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
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