Never forget this fact: if you’re involved with sales, you’re in the business of communicating with people. You’re not selling to people – you’re communicating with people.
You’re not in the “sales business” – you’re in the “people business.“ It’s as simple as that.
Ironically, communication is at the same time the most important tool for success and the primary source of difficulties most salespeople experience.
Perversely, knowing how to use the tool of communication is the solution, both for salespeople who talk too much and for those who talk too little. Only by becoming adept in applying the complete action definition of communication can one use the tool to its best advantage. Fortunately, it’s is not difficult to know, understand, and apply.
We often hear that communication is the stock in trade of the professional salesman, but what does this mean in the real world? Like any tool, it can be used or abused and communication is credited for every success or blamed for every failure in life.
It makes sense to know all we can about this tool: what it is and how to use it – so that it becomes as natural as rain while as disciplined as any top professional.
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines communication as: the act of transmitting or exchanging information, making something known, or to connect one with another.
Clearly, the concept has to do with something being connected with something or someone else, as well as it being transmitted or exchanged. The two operative words seem to be, “connected and exchanged.”
Whatever else occurred, if that connection and exchange didn’t take place, we could rule out communication per the definition above.
And if that connection and exchange did take place then we could say that we did communicate. So, for our present purposes, we have isolated a point of departure that should meet with no disagreement.
Often, it seems that communication is interpreted commonly to mean talking. Indeed, when you are speaking, you are communicating. But if your communication is never received by anyone or if you never connect with anyone else by any means of exchange, it becomes a solitary exercise.
Now, there might be some therapeutic value in this much like punching a heavy bag for thirty or forty minutes, but for our purposes it is useless. Without getting too philosophical about it, there simply has to be someone putting something out there, and connecting with someone else, leading to a willing interchange of ideas.
Minimally then, as an operating definition, we can say that communication is composed of at least the following two factors:
A. The exchange in terms of the ideas we deliver, (the sales presentation and other information), and the ideas the prospect delivers, (concerns and requests regarding the product) and,
B. The connection that is accomplished as a result of this “co-motion,” that strengthens the agreement and mutual interest of both parties. If it doesn’t make sense to them, if they don’t understand it, it’s not information. It’s not useful; it’s just raw, unevaluated data.
AN ACTION DEFINITION: Communication is the action of causing the transfer of information from one person to another with the intention of bringing about a connection and mutual exchange of ideas resulting in understanding.
Communication of data alone may be rejected as suspect or unimportant when one person alone says it. It is the mutual exchange that opens the door to understanding. This is the process by which they begin to own the information.
Remember: When you say it, it’s doubtful. When they say it, it’s true!
As you get them more and more involved, and the purposes of both the salesman and the prospect are aligned through sufficient communication, you can almost feel it “sizzle.” It is laser-like in its focus, and will cut through anything in its way. It’s almost impossible to stop.
This is where the communication skills of the salesman can make or break the day. When the prospect feels he understands and begins to assume ownership of the product or service, the salesman must recognize the possibility for a close is at hand, and skillfully bring it off.
The longer you screw around after this point has been reached, the more likely it is that something else will come up to be handled. So, just wrap it up as smoothly as possible and put his attention down the road on the delivery steps.
OK, without a doubt, there are other important elements involved that area worthy of greater inspection, but for our present purposes, the points above will suffice.
In part 2 of this series, we’ll examine a subtle aspect of communication that will lead directly to increased sales.
daniel w. jacobs
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