Business owners, clients, friends keep telling me they can’t sell…they have no experience, they hate selling. How did sales get such a bad rap?? How many of us ARE in sales?? Do you offer an idea, product, service or yourself to somebody in your life? Who do you offer these to? Spouse, partner, kids, boss, customer, staff, suppliers…..everyone you come in contact with. What are you doing every time you sell? COMMUNICATING!
Well, as business owners, what do we need most? CUSTOMERS! Without them we have no business. How does someone become a customer? They buy something.Why do people buy? To satisfy an emotional need.
What kind of emotional need might they be satisfying? The need for MONEY? That’s what most people say, but what emotional need does that money satisfy?
Your job is to find out what that emotional need is and how you, your product, service, or idea can satisfy it and continue to satisfy it. You do that by communicating effectively and basically, that’s all selling is..
My 6 Keys to Communicating for Success:
1. Consider Perspective:
Perspective is based on an individual and that individual may not look at things the same way you do.
 a. Consider who you are communicating with.
 b. Use DiSC-the language of observable behavior to learn HOW people behave.
 This POWERFUL tool can give you insight into how to effectively communicate with others.
 c. Learn to adapt your communication style. 
TO LEARN MORE…contact me at mmaclay@focalpointcoaching.com or respond to this post.
2. Ask Good, Open Ended Questions:
 a. Builds rapport which builds trust.
 b. Shows interest.
 c. Gets people talking-Why is this so important? Your job is to find out what that emotional need is and how your product, service, idea can satisfy it. People will give you the answers if you get them talking.
Open-Ended Questions require an answer and encourage dialogue as opposed to close ended questions which require only a yes or no response. Great Book: Questions That Sell by Paul Cherry to get  ideas of questions for any situation.
 EX: Are you happy with your suppliers? Vs. What have been some of your likes and dislikes with suppliers in the past?
 EX: Do you like working there? Vs. Since you’ve been with the company, what have been some of biggest hurdles you’ve faced?
 EX: How’s business? Vs Everyone is dealing with change, what’s the biggest change you are facing?
3. Listen:
 a. Shows respect and indicates the individual is important.
 b. Allows you to get information about their style!!! (DiSC)
 c. Let people complete a thought before responding. Most people are already forming a response before hearing the full thought-what might you be missing?
 d. Pause before responding-take time to formulate a response or logical, appropriate comment.
4. “Hear” What Isn’t Being Said - 3 Components of Communication:
 a. Body Language 58%
 b. Tone 35%
 c. Content 7%
What are your body language and tone are telling others? What are the tone and body language of the others telling you?
5. Get Feedback:
 a. Know what your customer wants instead of what you think they want.
 b. Just ask, don’t assume-SURVEYS can provide that information.
 c. Be specific about the feedback you want-ask questions that will provide you with the information you really need.
6. Everything Your Mother Taught You Is Not Out of Style:

a. Look people in the eye (don’t stare).                                                                                                                                                     b. Shake hands-use the same pressure as offered.
c. Say “Please” and “Thank You” AND Mean it!
d. Comb your hair (Yes, how you look matters!)
e. Stand Up Straight AND……SMILE!

What works for you???