Arguing or Persuading?

Arguing or Persuading?

I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of reality TV. The times I have watched I catch myself thinking, "This is silly, with all the things I have to do here I am I'm watching someone else's life instead of living my own!" Especially when people start to fight and argue I get turned off. So much conflict and tension – I don't need it. I'll even turn off the cable news channel if the independent experts they have on to comment on a subject or story start talking over each other and arguing too much.

Having said that, when they are not arguing, I do enjoy watching two experts, with opposing viewpoints, trying to persuade the other side that their view is superior. I find myself getting swayed sometimes not so much by what they are saying, but how they come across. Especially when the subject matter is something I am not familiar with or have little interest in it's easy to side with the person that sounds more believable.

Being Believable in Sales

There is huge application here to the world of selling. Unless your product sells itself then how you communicate your message to your clients will be in many cases more important than the message itself.

What makes those guests on cable news so believable, even when their argument may seem ludicrous or the subject matter is not important to you or too deep for casual comprehension?
-    They sound confident. Their tone of voice and the way they carry themselves suggests that they really believe what they are saying.
-    They are articulate. They use the correct words at the right time to clearly present their case.
-    They are efficient. They say what they need to say, say it well, and shut up.
-    They look good. They dress the part and look like they are successful.
When you put that package together you will have an edge over the person that is not as together.

What are some of the things the others do that distract from their message?
-    Their tonality. They get stressed and their voice tone reflects this. It gets higher, louder and tighter. The worse this gets the more desperate they sound and they start to lose credibility.
-    Appearance. Right or wrong it makes a difference. Dressing a little too casual or by wearing something distracting will get the viewer saying to themselves, "What were they thinking?" instead of listening to the message.
-    Hesitations and non-words. You, um, know, like, um, what I'm like, trying to um, say … don't you?

You Have to be Believed to be Heard

The more believable you are the more likely your clients are to buy from you. We see so much emphasis on product knowledge training in the industries that we work with and not enough on how the message is communicated. Don't misunderstand; I am not saying you do not need product knowledge. You do. You need to know your products inside and out, and those of your closest competitors, if you are going to maximize opportunity and your potential.

However, the experts tell us that in our communication with one and other, only:
    - 7% is communicated by the words we choose.
    - 38% is communicated with your tone of voice and
    - 55% by your body language.

So if everyone agrees we need product knowledge training then it would be a logical conclusion to assume we need training in our delivery given that it represents 93% of what our clients will hear - hear and believe.

Selling is all about having good products at good pricing but more than that it is about you being believable. You could say that you have to be believed to be heard.

So, what can you do to be more believable?
-    Talk about the right product. Before you present a product to someone make sure they have acknowledged that they have the problem that the product solves. Sales people tend not to have much credibility when they start selling something a person doesn't need.
-    Be prepared. How can you be efficient and articulate with your words if you are winging it? For example, know what the common objections are to your products and have a plan on how to respond.
-    Get some objective, third party feedback on your appearance. Here's the thing: when someone has completely run amuck of the dress code someone will say something to them. When someone is dressed really well someone will usually say something. It is when you fall into that middle ground that there's usually no comment. Ask for feedback on how you dress. Is it appropriate? Could there be improvements that will help you come across more professional and with more credibility? Someone may have thought about saying something to you about how you dress but hasn't because they felt that it "wasn't that bad" (the dreaded middle ground). If asked however, they may have some constructive advice and tell you something you didn't know.
-   Get feedback on your delivery. The simplest method is to tape record a sales conversation and have your coach listen to it. Count the number of non words. Dissect your presentation not with the intent to make yourself feel good but with the intent to find areas for improvement.

"When opportunity shows up, it's too late to prepare."

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