Page 71 - Lighting Magazine February 2018

Even when there is a clear distinction between “Sales” and the “Sales Support Team,” the skill levels among the salespeople will vary or erode. Many of these “forgo en” skills are based on regu- lar communication and conversation, let’s call this art. Meanwhile, other actions are formed based on the data we use. There is useful information on data usage in my November 2017 column “Mea- suring Up.”
Understanding persuasion begins with know- ing there is an individual psychology and emotion involved in every buying decision-making process, whether the client buys online or in a brick and mortar store. To win more customers and close more sales, you must use skills that help you persuade and inform the client that you/your company are the best choice for them.
In the last half of the 20th Century and into the early part of the 21st Century, these skills of persuasion have go en a bad rap. I think the main reason is due to the stigma associated with sales professionals.
The consumer public was asked the question: “What do you think of salespeople or the selling profession? What is the rst word that comes to your mind?” In Daniel Pink’s book, To Sell Is Hu- man, 25 words received the highest response, among them are Pushy, Yuck, Aggressive, Di cult, Dishonest, and Sleazy.
No wonder the crucial skills used in the profes- sion of selling have been lost. Sadly, many people believe that persuasion is nothing more than an- other word for manipulation.
the Difference iS intent
The di erence between persuasion and ma- nipulation is the intent of the salesperson and the company they work for. If your intention is correct and used to persuade a client to reach a buying decision – and that decision is in both their best interest and yours – then you’re on the right side of the tracks. If you are trying to fool a customer and don’t believe in the product you sell, the price it is being sold for, and the company you are working with, then using persuasion techniques is nothing more than a manipulation.
are PerSuaSion SkillS Still neeDeD?
Since the introduction of the PC into the retail showroom, much time has been spent teaching new team members how to use “our tech,” and
that training continues to keep the people up to date with the system.
As the workforce continues to evolve, the foundational digital skills that the new wave of employees brings with them are native, but what is missing is the so human skills.
The digital revolution has changed every way that we communicate. Speed and convenience are so much at the forefront that people will text or email from the next room or o ce for e ciency. This skill may make a person good at on-screen cha ing, but it does nothing for the client who is face to face with them. At its base, persuasion is part superior communication skills blended with a high degree of situational awareness.
The need for technical abilities is essential and will continue to be so as we advance. Success in sales in the 21st Century economy requires the establishment, training, and coaching of the cru- cial human-to-human so skills — not only for the sales team, but for each member of the showroom workforce who comes in contact with clients.
What iS the PerSuaSive ProceSS?
To understand the process, you must accept that these skills can be used in a variety of ways, some good and some not so good. Remember, there are no mystical words or actions that will cause a cus- tomer to make a purchase that they do not want.
Persuasion begins with the ability to transfer energized positive emotion to the clients who work with you. The persuasive salesperson uses passion and enthusiasm when presenting their company, products, and themselves.
In the past, sales trainees proved to me how much power there is in using passion and enthusi- asm. A er three weeks of high-intensity new hire training, the recruits were excited and ready to go. They’d hit the oor running, o en outperforming the existing sales sta . This success was due to the power of excitement and the con dence they had in themselves that they could do the job.
Con dence and passion are very powerful emotions, but arrogance is repelling! When you demonstrate con dence in yourself and what you are selling, you will reach clients on an emotional level. They will feel con dent in you and in the products, you are selling.
hoW to uSe emotion
There are many ways that we can persuade
“The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal
is integrity.”
— Zig Ziglar
FeBRUaRY 2018 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 67
on the mark