Transcript Module 4 Communication Skills

Module Four
Communication Skills
The Importance of Communication
An Expert’s Viewpoint:
Lisa Taglianetti is an account manager for Office Depot
Business Services Division. Lisa and her sales team were
working with a major medical center . . . they were not
there just to sell product, but to establish a mutually valued
business relationship. Consequently, the initial goal was to
gain information about the prospect’s current situation that
might assist them in discovering potential opportunities
that the medical center was missing . . .
Action
The Importance of Communication
An Expert’s Viewpoint:
Result
. . . as a result of increased levels of interaction and
communication, Office Depot is now the single source
provider for office supplies.
Sales Communication as a
Collaborative Process
What’s the difference between “talking
at the customer” and “talking with the
customer”?
Verbal Communication: Questioning
Salespeople skilled at questioning take a strategic
approach to asking questions so that they may:
• Control the flow and direction of the
conversation
• Uncover important information
• Demonstrate concern and understanding
• Facilitate the customer’s understanding
Types of Questions: Controlling
Amount and Specificity of Information
• Open-end Questions
How do You Feel?
Types of Questions: Controlling
Amount and Specificity of Information
• Open-end Questions
• Closed-end Questions
Do You Feel Good?
Types of Questions: Controlling
Amount and Specificity of Information
• Open-end Questions
• Closed-end Questions
• Dichotomous/Multiple-Choice Questions
Do You Feel Happy or Sad?
Types of Questions: Strategic Purpose
• Probing Questions – designed to penetrate
below generalized or superficial information
1. Requesting Clarification
• “Can you share an example of that with me?”
2. Encouraging Elaboration
• “How are you dealing with that situation now?”
3. Verifying Information and Responses
• “So, if I understand you correctly… Is that right?”
Types of Questions: Strategic Purpose
• Probing Questions
• Evaluative Questions – use open- and closed-end
question formats to gain confirmation and to uncover
attitudes, opinions, and preferences of customer.
– “How do you feel about…?”
– “Do you se the merits of…?”
– “What do you think…?”
Types of Questions: Strategic Purpose
• Probing Questions
• Evaluative Questions
• Tactical Questions – used to shift or redirect the
topic of discussion
– “Earlier you mentioned that…”
– “Could you tell me more about how that might affect…”
Types of Questions: Strategic Purpose
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Probing Questions
Evaluative Questions
Tactical Questions
Reactive Questions – refer to or directly result
from information previously provided by the other
party.
– “You mentioned that … Can you give me an example of
what you mean?”
– “That is interesting. Can you tell me how it happened?”
Guidelines for Combining Types of
Questions for Maximal Effectiveness
Discussion and
Interpretation
Confirmation and
Agreement
Choice from
Alternatives
Amount of and Specificity of Information Desired
Amount of and Specificity of Information Desired
Explore and Dig
for Details
Gain Confirmation
& Discover
Attitudes/Opinions
Change Topics or
Direct Attention
Follow-Up
Previously Elicited
Statements
Open-end Questions
Designed to be
Probing in Nature
Open-end Questions
Designed to be
Evaluative in Nature
Open-end Questions
Designed to be
Tactical in Nature
Open-end Questions
Designed to be
Reactive in Nature
Closed-end Questions
Designed to be
Probing in Nature
Closed-end Questions
Designed to be
Evaluative in Nature
Closed-end Questions
Designed to be
Tactical in Nature
Closed-end Questions
Designed to be
Reactive in Nature
Dichotomous or
Multiple-choice Questions
Designed to be
Probing in Nature
Dichotomous or
Multiple-choice Questions
Designed to be
Evaluative in Nature
Dichotomous or
Multiple-choice Questions
Designed to be
Tactical in Nature
Dichotomous or
Multiple-choice Questions
Designed to be
Reactive in Nature
Verbal Communication:
Strategic Application of Questioning
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Generate Buyer Involvement
Provoke Thinking
Gather Information
Clarification and Emphasis
Show Interest
Gain Confirmation
Advance the Sale
Situation Questions
Definition:
Finding out facts about the buyer’s existing situation.
Examples:
How many people do you employ at this location? How do
you manage your customers and contacts?
Impact:
Least powerful of the SPIN questions. Negative relationship
to success. Most people ask too many.
Advice:
Eliminate unnecessary Situation Questions by doing your
homework in advance.
Problem Questions
Definition:
Asking about problems, difficulties or dissatisfactions that
the buyer is experiencing with the existing situation.
Examples:
Have you ever had trouble managing your time & customers?
Which parts of the system create error?
Impact:
More powerful than Situation Questions. People ask more
Problem Questions as they become more experienced at
selling.
Advice:
Think of your products or services in terms of the problems
they solve for buyers—not in terms of the details or
characteristics that your products possess.
Implication Questions
Definition:
Asking about the consequences or effects of a buyer’s
problems, difficulties, or dissatisfactions.
Examples:
What effect does that problem have on your productivity?
Could that be impeding your ability to develop good
relationships with your customers?
Impact:
The most powerful of all SPIN questions. Top salespeople
ask lots of Implication Questions.
Advice:
These questions are the hardest to ask. Prepare for these
questions by identifying and understanding the
implications of various suspected needs prior to the sales
call.
Need-Payoff Questions
Definition:
Asking about the value or usefulness of a proposed
solution. They seek the buyer’s opinion as to what life
would be like if the problem was solved.
Examples:
How would better time & customer management help you?
Would you like to discuss how we can do that for you?
Impact:
Versatile questions used a great deal by top salespeople.
These questions help the buyer to understand the benefits of
solving the problem.
Advice:
Use these questions to get buyers to tell you the benefits that
your solution can offer.
ADAPT Techniques for Needs Discovery
Assessment Questions
• Broad bases and general facts describing situation
• Non-threatening as no interpretation is requested
• Open-end questions for maximum information
Discovery Questions
• Questions probing information gained in assessment
• Seeking to uncover problems or dissatisfactions that
could lead to suggested buyer needs
• Open-end questions for maximum information
Activation Questions
• Show the negative impact of a problem discovered in the
discovery sequence
• Designed to activate buyer’s interest in and desire
to solve the problem.
Projection Questions
• Projects what life would be like without the problems
• Buyer establishes the value of finding and
implementing a solution
Transition Questions
• Confirms interest in solving the problem
• Transitions to presentation of solution
Verbal Communication: Listening
Pay
Attention
Monitor
Non-Verbal
Make No
Assumptions
Effective Active
Listening
Paraphrase
& Repeat
Encourage
Buyer to Talk
Visualize
Types of Listening
Social Listening
Serious Listening
Requires
Concentration
and Cognition
SIER Hierarchy of Active Listening
Responding
Evaluating
Interpreting
Sensing
Verbal Communication
• Organize Thoughts
• Paint Word Pictures
• Watch Grammar
Nonverbal Communication
• Facial Expressions
Face
• Eye Movements
• Placement and Movements of
Hands
Hands, Arms, Head, and Legs
• Body Posture and Orientation
• Proxemics
• Variation in Voice Characteristics
– Speaking Rate and Pause Duration
– Pitch or Frequency
– Intensity and Loudness
Head
Arms
Feet
Legs
Posture
Personal Distance
• Public Zone: >12 feet
You
• Social Zone: 4 - 12 feet
• Personal Zone: 2-4 feet
Me
• Intimate Zone: 0-2 feet
Common Nonverbal Clusters
Cluster
Name
Cluster Meaning
Openness
Openness, flexibility and
sincerity
Defensiveness
Defensiveness,
skepticism, and
apprehension
Evaluation
Evaluation and
consideration of
message
Deception
Dishonesty and
secretiveness
Readiness
Dedication or
commitment
Boredom
Lack of interest and
impatience
Body Posture &
Orientation
Movement of Hands, Arms,
& Legs
Eyes & Facial
Expression
• Open hands
• Removing coat
• Unbutton collar
• Uncrossed arms & legs
• Slight smile
• Good eye contact
• Rigid body
• Crossed arms & legs
• Minimal eye contact
• Glancing sideways
• Pursed lips
• Tilted head
• Leaning forward
• Hand on cheek
• Stroking chin
• Chin in palm of hand
• Patterns of rocking
• Fidgeting with objects
• Increased leg movement
• Increased eye movement
• Frequent gazes elsewhere
• Forced smile
• Sitting forward
• Hands on hips
• Legs uncrossed
• Feet flat on floor
• Increased eye contact
• Head in palm of hands
• Slouching
• Drumming fingers
• Swinging a foot
• Brushing & picking at items
• Tapping feet
• Poor eye contact
• Glancing at watch
• Blank stare
• Moving closer
• Leaning forward
• Dropping glasses to lower
nose