Why is it that poor communication seems to be at the root of so many issues? Why do 97% of Fortune 500 executives believe that communication played a key role in the advancement of their career? There is actually a simple answer to these questions: Communication is everyone’s dilemma, but if properly mastered, it can be one of our leading strengths.
“1,000 Hands”
As a sales manager, do you want to know the absolute worst thing I’ve ever heard from a current customer? “I see your competitors more than I see you.” That hurts. That’s also an eye opener. Why is it that when a sales person is pursuing a new opportunity or customer, they apply the tender loving care that all customers crave?
What’s your name again?
According to a 1998 study at Yale University, the most persuasive word in the English language is a person’s name. When you can remember someone’s name, it establishes a foundation of trust and respect, while making you appear highly knowledgeable and credible. People love the sound of their own name, and hearing it out loud makes people feel comfortable.
Socrates should have been a salesman!
Why is it that Socrates is regarded as one of the greatest teachers of all time? Did he understand the importance of engaging his students into the problem solving? Was it his amazing ability to have the students take ownership of the problem by creating their own solution? Did his guidance with questions lead the students to their own conclusions? Did Socrates understand that when a student took ownership of the problem and the resolution, they were more likely to understand and retain that knowledge?
One thing L&D Professionals think, but never say
Before humans make a buying decision on anything, they answer three main questions. Think about anything you’ve purchased in the past and you’ll see you’ve answered these questions before you made the buying decision… whether you knew it at the time or not. The first question is, “Does this product/service satisfy my need?” For example, …
Give them what they came for!
Somewhat annoyed, I asked my wife of only 18 months, “If you wanted it done that way then why didn’t you just ask me to put it over there from the start?” The resulting expression on her face told me I said something wrong. “What is that supposed to mean?” she shot back to me. …
More Time – Less Stress
We would all want to have a little extra time in our day. Just some extra time to finish that last proposal, send one more email, spend a little more time with the family or just kick back and relax a little more. While it is not possible to actually ‘create’ time, we can learn better methods for managing the time that we have. How can I put more time back into my day? Learn three methods you can implement immediately to improve your ability to remove tasks from your To Do list.
Are you really listening to your customers?
Effectively listening to your customers will give them the feeling that they are important; it will also tell them that you are appreciative of their business. Every customer, as much as they may know they are not your only customer, wants to feel like they are. When was the last time you did not want to feel special?