Chuck Bauer, Week 2, 2002
Because I work in the sales industry, I have the occasion to coach sales people on their accomplishments as well as working with them on some of the difficult challenges that we all face in our daily sales lives. One of the challenges I see, is an inability of salespeople to get their clients to believe what they say. And, even more so, an inability to speak the truth.
Your clients have set up a "shield" around them when it pertains to salespeople. Why? Come on now, we all know why! Do the words intimidation, manipulation, and hype come up for you? How about embellishment? Or how about the bad experiences your client has with the assembly of salespeople lined up in the lobby each week. You know exactly what I mean. Unfortunately for us in sales, our customers have our "past" to deal with.
There are many ways to increase your intimacy-building skills. I'm not speaking in terms of rapport -- every salesperson can build rapport. But only true professionals can build intimacy with their clients. So, what is an easy way for the salesperson to uplevel into intimacy with their clients? Well, it is easy as "One, Two, Three!"
That's correct, One..., Two..., Three! In other words, giving information in the form of first-party, second-party, and third-party. Here is an easier way for you to remember. If I tell you about the big fish I caught, you're not as likely to believe me as you would if Tony steps up and tells you about my catch. What if Tony told you about my fish and backed up the story with a photo? Or another way to look at it is, you may not believe me but you might believe my mother!
Most sales people live in the first-party world -- the world of telling their clients from a first-person platform. Such as "tell the client and, when you get done telling them, then tell them again." Well, telling them too many times is redundant and may trigger a past experience that might have had a negative outcome. Beyond that, it's HOW you tell them that will make a difference. Telling them things that come from a first-party platform, in most cases, will never move you towards closure; it will always move you away.
A second-party platform is utilized by salespeople who like to tell stories. Sometimes it is effective, sometimes it is not; though it is always better than telling something from a first-party platform. Storytelling can be effective in making points with clients. Clients who have a socializer or relator type of personality love stories, but clients who have a director or thinker type personality dislike stories and tend to think you're too chatty or taking up too much time. Okay, so it seems like we need to find a better way.
The better way is to speak and share, whenever possible, is from a third-party platform Remember, it's easy as one, two, three. A third-party platform offers evidence to your clients that in almost all cases is quite believable and effective versus information or speech that comes from a first- or second-party platform. Even better, all the main types of client personalities salespeople deal with (directors, socializers, relators, thinkers) are moved towards closure through the use of a third-party platform. Using third-party evidence is a way to uplevel into building intimacy with your clients; not to mention that it increases your sales strength and position with them.
Now, here is a list of tools that helps build a third-party platform:
1. NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE, OR INTERNET DOCUMENTATION
Find articles or information related to your industry that can bolster your position or product. Prepare them professionally by having them laminated for your presentation. Scan them to include in your Powerpoint presentations, and leave copies with your clients. Create a permanent record of these on your web-site.2. YOUR PERSONAL WEB-SITE
Your personal track record is important to your clients, so establish a web-site that your clients can visit, even before your appointment. Again, with the four main personalities (director, socializer, relator, thinker), they all come to satisfaction through knowing your personal track record. Your web-site can be a wonderful and inexpensive tool that, when used properly, can satisfy all four main personality types by providing your personal track record from a third-party platform. It's the internet telling them about you versus you telling them about you. Make sure that when you design your site, that you mix professional along with family or personal information. This way, no matter what personality style your client is, they'll find something of interest on your web-site.3. USE VISUAL IMPRESSIONS
Your client processes graphical information 66,000 times faster than auditory information. So, anytime you can use a photograph, graphics, or a chart, you become better connected with your client, again building intimacy. I share with some of my audiences, "If your lips are moving, you should be pointing or clicking" meaning that when you speak to a client, point to an article about a particular subject, or fire up the internet and refer to information on a web-site that will back you up.4. A RECORDED VOICE MESSAGE
Have a short (less than five-minute) recorded message that covers the main points about you, your company, and your product or service. The message could be in the form of a voice message on a local phone number, it could be a message provided on an 800 number for your long distance clients, or have a "click" on your web-site that allows a message to be played by the client visiting your site. This is an incredible third-party convenience that you can offer and, remember, most other salespeople would never take such a step!What should you put in your recorded message? Three to five minutes of bullet points that will be meaningful and impactful to your client as it relates to you, and your products or services. Do hire a professional voice to perform the message!
5. FAST-FACTS PROFILE
Create a one-page document that covers the main points about YOU, and your company and services. Each Fast Fact should be some item that will buy you many points when the client reads about them. From your educational accomplishments, to sales schools you have graduated from, to your family background, to the main points and accomplishments of your company's products and services, your Fast Facts document will save you time in building intimacy with your client. Make sure that your Fast Facts are included in all your initial documentation that you provide to a client, backed up with a faxable form, and included on your web-site. What do you title the hyperlink? "Fast Facts" of course!6. UTILIZE YOUR MANAGERS & CORPORATE OFFICE STAFF
Many of you work in a structure that includes some sort of corporate umbrella. Within that umbrella, in most cases, are managers or staff that are experienced and financially connected to you. They should be available to help or assist with your clients. It's certainly a positive move to allow a manager to have access to your clients in an on-going intimacy-building discussion, one that regardless of the outcome of the call, the manager listens to the clients and builds intimacy. Use your managers, let them help you!7. TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials provided from a third-party platform can be a powerful part of your sales process. Wherever your career is at, compiling testimonials on yourself and or your company is another way to build intimacy and build on your own personal track record. Right now, start a file in which to keep a history of these. Remember, you need to ask for them to get them. As an example, when I finish speaking to an audience, I have them fill out a two-page evaluation of my speech. Included in that evaluation is a place for testimonials.What to do with testimonials? First off, most of them will have to be condensed into bullet points. Shorten 'em up! Then, there are a variety of places they can be used, such as:
Your personal web-site Your fast-facts sheet The footer of your outbound emails Your Powerpoint presentations Back of your business card By implementing these suggestions into your method of operation, you are virtually guaranteed a few more sales each month. These skills and techniques are a certain way to uplevel your selling and intimacy building skills, and they'll work as long as you remember..., it's as easy as one, two, three!
Chuck Bauer is a speaker, writer, and consultant. He regularly consults and trains for companies such as Verizon, State of Texas, and Bass Pro Shops nationwide. His new book Attraction in Action is due to be published in late 2002. Visit him at http://chuckbauer.com or email to chuck@chuckbauer.com