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Principles of Persuasion - Speak with Power and Passion

Written by John Boe

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Beware: Your True Intentions are Showing

When your intention is to help your customer improve their operation, you don't talk about your product or service. Period. It's really quite irrelevant at the onset of your discussion. Even though you're really excited about it, you don't talk about it. Your offering is simply a tool that helps them achieve a very specific business objective. That's what's important. It's all about them!

When I opened the email, the first sentence jumped out me: "I've just been to your website and your company is a perfect fit for our services!" Clearly the seller was really excited about his discovery.

On the other hand, I was backpedaling as fast as I could. I wanted nothing to do with him. If he'd caught me on the phone, my instincts would have immediately erected barricades. If we were meeting in person, objections would be spewing from my mouth.

Why? Because he seemed too excited about selling me. Without even realizing it, his approach screamed "self-serving" and I recoiled from it. My reaction isn't unusual. In fact, it's the norm. You do the same thing. We all hate being sold!

Yet invariably, I see sellers engaging in self-sabotaging behavior that can only lead to failure. For example:

When their company introduces a new product or service, most sellers rush to convert their hottest prospects. Filled with passion, they unwittingly create insurmountable obstacles that actually derail their sales efforts or delay them indefinitely.

When good-hearted, intelligent and talented people put on their sales hat, they suddenly morph into blathering idiots. It's as if they think this is what selling is all about – even though they're repulsed by their own actions.

When well-intentioned sellers are fearful of meeting their quotas or even staying in business, their desperation to land a client or get the order causes them to push themselves on others.

Whether you want to or not, you always communicate your intent. Prospective buyers sense it instantaneously and react accordingly. If they feel you have their best interests in mind, they're attracted to you. Conversely, they're repelled by any behavior that smacks of self-serving intentions.

To be successful selling your prospect or service, focus on making your prospects successful. Use these strategies to re-jigger your thinking.

Change Your Question

Once you've targeted an account to go after, instead of focusing first on "How can I sell this to them?" ask yourself, "How can I improve their business?" When this question is at the forefront of your thinking, you start behaving different. You can't make calls until you've researched their firm, know their company's objectives and understand the challenges they're facing. You prepare for appointments with their success in mind, not yours.

Change Your Language

When your intention is to help your customer improve their operation, you don't talk about your product or service. Period. It's really quite irrelevant at the onset of your discussion. Even though you're really excited about it, you don't talk about it. Your offering is simply a tool that helps them achieve a very specific business objective. That's what's important. It's all about them!

Change Your Role

Stop putting on your sales hat! Stop thinking of yourself as a seller. You are a business improvement specialist. As a result of your work to improve your customer's operation, they will buy your product or service. Sales is the outcome of what you do, but it is not your purpose.

Many sales managers and business owners will rail at what I say. They want you to "go out there and sell, sell, sell." Marketers will push you to "tell your prospects all about our unique differentiators." Even you will likely feel resistant to making these changes.

But truthfully, the more you need sales, the more important these strategies become. Top sellers know this. When you're in their presence, you never feel like you're being sold. So you open up and tell them more. That's how it works. And before long you're happily doing business with them.

Always remember: your intention is showing. If it's all about you, you're toast. The best way to make a sale is to make a difference.

{mosimage}Whether you're conducting a one-on-one interview, motivating your sales team or delivering a keynote address, your success as a leader is defined by your ability to persuade with clarity and passion. In fact, you might say that leadership is synonymous with effective communication. According to Harvey MacKay, author of the book Swim With the Sharks, "The No. 1 skill most lacking in business today is public speaking...the ability to present oneself." If you want to stand out from the crowd, get promoted or develop an award winning sales team you need to polish your communication and persuasion skills.

Throughout history, our most admired leaders are remembered primarily for their ability to instill courage and inspire confidence. Just think how different this world might be without the calming reassurance of FDR's fireside chats or Churchill's defiant eloquence. President Kennedy once remarked that Winston Churchill had the ability to take the English language to war.

Churchill clearly understood the power of words and said that he had the English language deep in his bones. He would spend hours at a time rewriting and rehearsing his speeches and as a result, Churchill galvanized a nation with his words.

When We Communicate Effectively We Succeed!

Whether you're in commission sales or on a salary, your income and career advancement are directly linked to your ability to communicate and persuade. The higher you climb the corporate ladder, the more you will be called upon to speak. It doesn't matter whether you're an agent selling an insurance policy or a manager goal setting with a sales rep, if you want to focus attention and gain consensus, paint word pictures.

In her book, Knockout Presentations, communications coach Diane DiResta suggests using vivid language, "Metaphors transport the listener to a different dimension. They grab hold of the mind and stimulate the imagination. The brain thinks in pictures, not words." Analogies, metaphors, stories and anecdotes all work together to help you create vivid word pictures to keep your listeners emotionally involved.

Communication Strategies

Psychologists tell us that we are born into one of four primary temperament styles; aggressive, expressive, passive or analytical.

Each of these four styles requires a different approach and communication strategy. For example, words that would appeal to a person with the aggressive style may alienate and actually destroy rapport with the passive style and vise versa.

If a leader is to influence colleagues and customers, he or she must be able to quickly and accurately recognize each of these distinct behavioral styles and adapt accordingly. During your next presentation, make an effort to identify the temperament style you're presenting to and use as many of these emotionally charged words as possible.

The aggressive, bottom line Worker style is results oriented. They ask "what" questions. Workers value achievement and fear loss of control. When presenting to this buying style use these

words:

Control * Flexibility * Work * Bottom line * Power * Challenge * Speed * Money * Functional * Results * Goals * Options * Hands on * Quickly * Freedom * Immediately

The expressive, emotional Talker style is people oriented. They ask "who" questions. Talkers value recognition and fear loss of prestige. When presenting to this buying style use these words:

Fun * Entertaining * Creative * Friendly * Simple * Incredible * Exclusive * Improved * Prestige * New * Ultimate * Spontaneous * Exciting * Enjoyable * Cash * Adventure

The passive, harmonious Watcher style is service oriented. They ask "how" questions. Watchers value appreciation and fear conflict. When presenting to this buying style use these words:

Support * Service * Family * Harmony * Dependable * Caring * Cooperation * Helpful * Easy * Sincere * Love * Kindness * Concern * Considerate * Gentle * Relationship

The analytical, cautious Thinker style is quality oriented. They ask "why" questions. Thinkers value accuracy and fear being viewed as incompetent. When presenting to this buying style use these words:

Safe * Scientific * Proven * Value * Learn * Guaranteed * Save * Bargain * Economical * Quality * Logical * Reliable * Accurate * Perfect * Security * Precise * Efficient

Magic Words and Power Phrases

Over time marketing researchers have consistently found that certain "magic words" used in phrases and combinations were so compelling that sales followed the ads just as predictably as spring follows winter. Here are some power phrases that will create interest, generate enthusiasm and motivate people to take action!

Guaranteed success * Live your dreams * Fast, easy access * Unlock your potential * Accept no substitute * Time tested * Go with a winner * The results are in * Extra savings * One-stop shopping

While it might be true that some are born with a silver tongue, most people, like Churchill, have to work at developing their communication skills. A good way to improve your public speaking is to engage the services of a communications coach or join a local Toastmasters Club.

Developing the ability to speak with power and passion takes time and effort to master, but it will pay off in big dividends.

John Boe
		About the author:
		John Boe is an entertaining speaker with a powerful message and a passion to help salespeople reach their full potential. He has devoted the last two-decades to training and motivating high-performance, successful salespeople. His knowledge has been synthesized into one of the most powerful sales training programs ever created on the subject of peak-performance selling and personal achievement! .