Focused Sales Conversation Resource List

I’ve always believed that effective communication is the salesperson’s responsibility.

Here are some communication tips to help you connect with your prospects and customers more quickly and more effectively for your inside sales success (these are in no particular order of importance).

1. The UpYourTeleSales.com definition of a conversation is “an exchange of ideas between two people.” It implies a give and take movement – make sure you leave room for them to share. You can check out the UpYourTeleSales whiteboard video answering What is a conversation?
2. “Hi, how are you?” –  is not a greeting. It is a greeting combined with a question. IF you’re going to ask, listen to their answer.
3. In sales there is a big difference between what you, the salesperson, want to know AND how you ask your prospect or customer for the information. Ask customer facing questions!
4. Softening statements at the beginning of a question help make direct questions easier for the prospect or customer to hear and answer.
5. Open-ended questions = invite explanation and story to be added to the whole situation, the why behind it, or the how to change it.
6. Close-ended questions = traditionally mean the answer can be YES or NO, for sales add any question that can be answered with one word.
7. Utilize multiple communication tools: the phone, email, fax, cards, letters, marketing collateral, etc. All will help you get your message across.
8. You can acknowledge you’ve heard someone WITHOUT agreeing!
9. There is no ONE person who can explain the entire picture – speak to multiple people and ask questions to widen your view.
10. Listen to the words the other person uses to figure out if they are a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner – then craft your presentations and proposals to fit their style!
11. LISTEN; one word might sound simple, yet that doesn’t make it easy!

Here are resources from other people on conversations:

• Nancy Bleeke of Sales Pro Insider – literally wrote the book on Conversations That Sell: Collaborate with Buyers and Make Every Conversation Count.
• Erica Stritch at RAIN Group shares her 7 Keys to Leading Highly Effective Sales Conversations
• Rachel Clapp Miller gives you what she believes in What Makes a Sales Conversation Stand Out?
• Taking it a bit more to the psychology side is Sales Conversation Starters: How to use cognitive biases to your advantage from Pipedrive’s blog 
• 9 Secret Elements Of Highly Effective Sales Conversations from Chris Orlob includes some research and data that you’ll find interesting
• Good reminders are included in Jim Patton’s 5 Keys to Strategic Sales Conversations: Developing Effective Conversation Sellers

In the end, as an inside salesperson you need to think about making your message as easy to hear and understand as possible – in the frenetic world your prospects and customers are working in.
 
Effective Communication – it’s your responsibility.
Lynn

ps: If you like videos, check these out for more sales #LYNNSIGHTS, tips, and tricks from UpYourTeleSales.