The Right Words, Smart Questions and a Good Story Can Win You Sales

Last weeks post addressed how the wrong word used and stupid questions can cost you in the sales profession. This post will address just the opposite, and we will add a bit of a twist. Let's discuss words that will help you move people, questions that will allow you to find out their biggest issues and then, we will get to the twist.

First, the right words and the power they possess. Here are some words that can be very influential in the world of  selling;

• You
• Free
• Show
• Emotions

I am sure that you like the word you, but I would bet my next paycheck that you love reading your own name even more. Tip: Be sure that you know exactly who you are addressing in any of your written communications with prospective clients. How do you think your customer feels about reading their name? Exactly. They love it! I get a kick out of email marketing that requests an introduction to the "right" person for their product or service, when in fact I am that person! They don't even know who they are emailing. Not the right approach for a Salutary Sales Pro.

We won't spend much time on the word "free" as we all know how much everyone likes free stuff. That being said, keep in mind that there is a danger to this word. Providing something for free will attract more potential clients, but that group will also include a fair share of people who will always want "free." This is a hard way to grow a business (or pay the bills).

If you are demonstrating your product to a potential client, do you inform them that they need to learn how to use the product or do you show them how to  use it? Big difference. If your client needs to learn how to use it, they have work to do and they probably have enough of that to go around. But, if you are showing them how to use it, they feel like you are being helpful.

And the final word, emotions. We all know that people make decisions emotionally and then justify that decision rationally. Emotions play the major role in purchasing decisions. Your potential client wants to feel good (as well as smart, beautiful, safe, etc.) about their decision to buy.

Asking smart questions is absolutely necessary for a Salutary Sales Pro. As you would expect, questions with who, what, why, where and how are going to be necessary for getting your prospect to open up. That being said, here are two questions that I think all salespeople should be ready to use at almost any moment.

• Can you help me understand that a little better?
• How can I add value to you? (Your organization, this project, etc.)

Get good at asking great questions.

Now, the power of using story in your sales approach is well proven. Don't believe me? Okay, let's try this.

Suppose I need to influence you into believing that it is important to struggle through certain aspects of your life. I tell you that struggle really does help you build character and that the struggle will make you stronger. I also inform you, and you might find it hard to believe, but your struggles are what make you the person you are today, and who you will be tomorrow. Would you be moved? Maybe. But what if I told you the following story to help you get through some of your struggle? 

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly, One day a small opening appeared and he sat and watched the butterfly as it struggled for several hours to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far out as it could.

The man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued watching that butterfly because he expected that at any moment, the wings would expand and be able to support the body.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent his whole life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the constricting cocoon and the struggle to get through the tiny opening was nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings and legs so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in life. If nature allowed us to go through life without obstacles, it would cripple us too. We would never be as strong as nature intended us to be. As you go through this struggle, remember that nature is here with you and knows what you need.

Which moved you? The factual information that I gave or the story that showed the point? Story will always be a better communication tool than straight facts. Story gets to the emotion and wraps the facts into the story. I think it was Brene Brown who said, "stories are facts with a soul."

For more on using story in sales, watch for my next post.

Good Selling!