Improve Your Sales Conversations Using These 4 Tips

BY Rachel Cagle
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Sometimes, our sales conversations are where our selling process falls short. Don’t feel bad, though. Your technique probably just needs a few additional aspects. You don’t have to start from scratch. According to Erica Schultz, writing for RAIN Group, here are a few ways you can improve your sales conversation skills:

  1. Build Rapport
  2. Ask Questions
  3. Highlight Impact
  4. Show the Prospect the Future

How to Improve Your Sales Conversations

Build Rapport

Have you ever been told that before you can sell your product or service, you have to sell yourself? It’s true. If a prospect doesn’t like you, they will not make a purchase from you. So, your first task during sales conversations is to build rapport with the prospect. This can range from simply being polite and empathetic to pointing out something in the background of the Zoom meeting you can talk about. Or you can do both.

Say the prospect’s dog walks in during your video call. The prospect, shoos them out or starts to pet them and apologizes for the intrusion. Instead of just brushing it off and moving on, take this moment to talk about your own animals or tell a funny story about the pet of someone you’re close to. You’ll establish an emotional connection to the prospect and be one step closer to landing a sale.

 Ask Questions

One of the most self-​destructive habits a sales rep can develop is going into sales conversations feeling as if they already know everything. They’ve done their research on the prospect, so why should they ask questions instead of jumping right into explaining why their product or service is perfect for the client? Because you’re probably missing important information that can benefit you. Schultz reminds reps that you need to not only ask questions to uncover the prospect’s pain points, but their aspirations, as well. When you have this more personalized information, you can tailor your sales pitch to fit the prospect perfectly.

Highlight Impact

Sure, your product or service may be great, and you should highlight its important features. But if you don’t tie these aspects to how they will benefit the prospect’s business specifically, you’re missing a crucial part of sales conversations. “You can do everything else right,” says Shultz, “but if the prospect doesn't see the value of your solution (and you've got to be very clear with what that value is), they will not buy it.” So, always include how your product’s features will directly impact your prospect’s business if you want to land your sale.

Show the Prospect the Future

You know how experts are always advising reps to incorporate storytelling into their sales conversations? Explaining how your prospect’s company could thrive using your product or service is an excellent way to do so. “Once you know the prospect's needs and goals and the tangible impact of alleviating these pains or attaining their goals, you must paint a picture of what their new world will look like,” says Shultz. “How will it be better? In your sales conversations, help them visualize the other side and build excitement around it.”


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