Rethink How You Communicate To Win Business

Have you ever felt certain you had a solid prospect on the line - only for them to stop returning your calls, emails, and voicemails? One moment, they’re engaged and asking questions; the next, they vanish without warning. We often chalk this up to “sales problems,” but in reality, it’s a sales communication problem. Mastering the art of sales communication is the critical muscle that propels deals forward and leads to better, more collaborative outcomes.

Here are key strategies for improved sales communication:

• Leverage Curiosity Ask open-ended questions; specifically, what and how. It invites prospects to clarify and expand on their current challenges or goals. Genuine interest builds trust and uncovers important information.
• Practice Active Listening It is the act of continual confirmation in dialogue. Meaning, throughout a conversation, you confirm back to a prospect how you are interpreting the information they are sharing. Are you receiving the information in your ears the way in which it was meant? If your understanding is incorrect, ask for clarity.
• Align to Their Problem Seek to understand how a prospect sees their challenge. What does it mean to them in their world. Don’t assume you know. Often the same problem has different impacts on different customers. Probe with open-ended questions.
• Respectful Follow-up Following up keeps the cadence of deal-flow. Respectful follow-up demonstrates cadence proactivity without being overbearing. It uses time to your advantage. Slowing down, giving space between interactions increases your alignment to a prospect.
• Meet a Prospect Where They Are Don’t push an agenda a prospect is to not prepared for. A rushed opportunity is a dead opportunity. Collaborate on how the prospect sees next steps. What hurdles do they need to address internally before moving forward. This alignment moves the process forward. 

Ready to turn stalled conversations into productive pipelines? In the short-term, you should see sales productivity increase, close ratios go up, and forecasting accuracy dialed-in. Long-term you create collaborative solutions, value-based solutions, and become a trusted advisor. 

Honing your sales communication skills sparks deeper connections, fosters trust, and gains important information which closes deals faster. Start applying these strategies today and watch how quickly your ability to engage and influence improves - taking your sales performance to the next level.

About the author:

Amy Little is an Enterprise Sales Executive with over 25 years of experience in technology. She founded Third Language with a simple mission - help salespeople elevate their communication skills. It’s a foundational program for navigating the dynamics involved in sales opportunities. She coaches the strategy and tactics of how to read opportunities, understand forces at play, and close deals. Amy is also an instructor at the Charleston Learning Center. Check out her upcoming class HERE.