So What Do Speaking Skills Have To Do With
Selling?
Everything! (Yes, I could have ended it
right there.) There are three major characteristics that top sales
producers seem to have - the belief they can be top sales producers,
great listening skills, and the ability to speak with confidence and
conviction.
As sales professionals, nearly 75 percent of our time is spent
making presentations in some way, shape, or form. Do we think of
ourselves as public speakers? Probably not, but we depend on our
speaking skills to share our messages clearly and with credibility,
whether we are speaking on the phone, in a
one-on-one meeting,
or to a group.
Your speaking (what you say) and delivery (how you say it) skills
are an immediate demonstration of executive ability (and passion)
and may very well be the number one reason why a sale is made or
lost. It amazes me how many sales professionals tend to minimize the
importance of how they speak and deliver their message.
Prospects have to see your presentation as effective - your
products and services worthwhile. Just providing information makes
you just like your competitor - it doesn't mean you are selling.
There has to be a 'call to action'.
The four basic elements of selling - attracting the prospect,
interesting the prospect, convincing the prospect, and closing the
sale - must be in your sales presentation.
If all we do is provide information, we fail to guide the
prospect through each phase of the four sales elements. Making your
presentation informative, interesting, timely, interactive, dynamic,
and action oriented will set you way apart from your competition -
believe me!
Yeah, yeah - I know what you're thinking. Sales presentations
(especially in front of a group) ain't easy - if it were, everyone
would be doing it. Yes, it takes guts and lots of practice. Did I
mention guts? But you have to start somewhere, ay? Why not start
now?
Make every opportunity you can to practice your sales
presentation. Ask for positive and critical feedback from others and
improve your presentation each and every time. If you do, you will
be on the path to increasing your closing ratio (and your income)
and motivating others to act on your ideas. That's my sales
pitch.
Next Week: Overcoming Your Fear of
Public Speaking
Warm regards,
Michael Goldberg
Building Blocks Consulting
