We are in the Age of the Consumer, and it takes more than a good price and a good product to win. It’s the way that you treat each customer, and the way that you communicate your value, that matters most. Every day, tens of thousands of conversations are happening in sales, in service, in the BDC, and in F&I. Unfortunately, the majority of those conversations end short of a commitment and of a sale. Are you looking for a way to improve customer experience, drive appointments, and increase sales?
The quickest way to improve your results is to improve the quality of your communication! Customers are always seeking information, but an influential conversation goes way beyond a simple exchange. Information is nothing more than a giving out; whereas, influential communication is a getting through. Are you getting through to your customers? By applying the four laws of influential conversations to your communication, you can not only get through to more customers, but you can improve the customer experience, drive appointments, and increase sales!
Law 1: Your Style Trumps Substance Initially
You are the number one reason why customers buy, and you are the number one reason why customers don’t buy. It’s you and your communication that ultimately makes the difference! You can deliver a solid presentation, which clearly demonstrates that you have the best product and overall solution for a customer, and still not get a commitment or make the sale. It can be frustrating, I know. The harsh reality is: if a customer doesn’t like you, your products and solutions are irrelevant! It’s not just what you have to communicate that matters, it’s how you communicate it.
We all tend to prefer and like the people who are just like us, or how we’d like to be, and we all tend to avoid and dislike the people who are not like us or are not like how we’d like to be. The biggest communication mistake made is treating every customer the same. When you do this, you are doomed to be shut-down and tuned-out before you even have a chance to begin. Your customers are all different, and they all communicate in their own way. When customers perceive you to be different from them, or how they’d like to be, your message is mute. After all, why would anyone willingly listen to and allow themselves to be led by someone they don’t even like?
Make no mistake, influence begins when you align with the person that you are communicating with. This means aligning your words, your voice, and your body language. You would never communicate with your best friend in the same way that you communicate with your boss, and you would never communicate with a colleague in the same way that you communicate with a toddler. In these situations, you naturally adjust your approach and your style so that you can communicate in a way that gets through to them. Why should your communication from one customer to the next be any different?
The best communicators quickly identify which keywords and phrases most resonate with their customers; they take special care to speak in a tone, volume, and tempo that is most pleasing to their customers; and they create a sense of familiarity and alliance with their customers through the proper use of body language. Most importantly, the best communicators ensure that their words, voice, and body language are all congruent. You can’t pretend to be someone you’re not. You have to be yourself while communicating in someone else’s “language.”
Tailoring your style not only puts you in a position to have an influential conversation, but it is also the only way to truly acknowledge, respect, and enjoy the differences in people. Before you can take your customers to where you would like them to go, you first have to meet them where they are!
Law 2: Their Feelings Dominate Your Facts
You can be dead right, but if your customer does not feel that you are right, your opportunity with that customer is as good as dead. It is critical to listen beyond the words because sometimes the words don’t even matter! Sadly, the number one untrained skill in all of sales is the ability to personally connect with customers. It is their feelings, not your facts, that drive behavior. Without learning, leading, and leveraging the feelings that are really driving your customers, it would be impossible to have an influential conversation.
Your customers are all led by six emotional motives to buy, and they are:
1. To feel important and avoid feeling unimportant, disregarded, or worthless.
2. To feel independent and avoid feeling dependent or powerless.
3. To feel responsible and avoid feeling foolish, immoral, or feeble.
4. To feel rewarded and avoid feeling deprived, disadvantaged, or failing.
5. To feel secure and avoid feeling afraid, worried, or uncertain.
6. To feel loved and avoid feeling unvalued, unwanted, or unwelcome.
It is important to note that each customer experiences and responds to these emotional motives to buy differently. The strength and influence of each depend heavily upon the personal values and past experiences of each customer.
The best communicators want to make the deal bigger and more meaningful to their customers. They skillfully skip the small talk and ask really good personal questions. If you want to bring value, add value, and become a person of value, you must first gain insight into what really drives your customers. Without empathy, you are flat-out handicapped in getting through to others.
You will not be able to influence what your customers will do until you first understand how they feel. Understanding which feelings are influencing your customers, allows you to frame your solution so it not only makes perfect sense but so it is also personally compelling. You must remember that your customers receive your communication through their lens, and their perception is conditioned greatly by the angle and position of your message.
Whether you are trying to secure an appointment, gain a commitment, or close a sale, your success will be determined by what you ask, what you say, and how you act. It’s the way that you treat each customer, and the way that you communicate your value, that matters most. By applying the first law, “Your Style Trumps Substance Initially,” to your communication, you can become a trusted advisor that your customers want to engage with, connect with, and listen to. By applying the second law, “Their Feelings Dominate Your Facts,” to your communication, you can become a person of insight who sees beyond the words, gains the personal edge, and creates value that is personal, powerful and unique.
Next month in Part 2 of this article, I will help you take advantage of the last two remaining laws of influential conversations. You will learn how to lean-in and lead your customers, create an environment of urgency, and inspire action. Don’t just have a conversation with your customers, have an influential conversation. Remember, the quickest way to improve your results is to improve the quality of your communication!