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7 Proven Communication Strategies to Double Your Sales in Half the Time

The ability to get great results when communicating with your clients, prospects, and staff requires that you have the right message for your audience, that your message addresses what’s important to them, and that you deliver the message in a powerful, effective manner.

In this blog post, we’re going to cover the 7 simplest communication strategies designed to help you and your organization confidently communicate the right message to the right audience at the right time. In other words, increase sales.

Strategy #1: Always take the time to prepare for your communication situation

The need to prepare for communication is not news. And, so many (ahem, I’m talking to you salespeople) go into situations where the stakes are high with little or no preparation and they “wing it” GASP! Let me be blunt. Regardless of whether you’re an individual planning for a meeting or a professional getting ready to speak to a large group, never go into a communication situation without taking time to focus and prepare.

How to Prepare

1. Schedule time. This is an important first step because it is so easy to get caught up in day-to-day demands. As you identify how much time is required, first determine how important the communication is. Is this a six-figure deal that you have one shot at making a great impression? Is it a conversation with a valued employee who has made an error that needs correcting? It’s important to note that everyone prepares in different ways. 

In our Encore Communication Coaching Program, we provide a “paint by numbers” template to prepare for any communication situation, and we encourage people to take it and make it their own. 

Some people like to write out their whole presentation, others create bullets. The point is the amount of time you’ll need varies for each individual and each situation – it may be 5 minutes to review the points you want to cover in a meeting or several hours rehearsing in the case of an important presentation.

2. Say it out loud. Words sound different when they’re spoken than when they’re drifting around in our head. 

By verbalizing your communication, you’ll be able to detect places where the tone is contrary to your intentions, like boredom, condescension, self-doubt, and make the necessary adjustments. This is also critical if you have a time limit for your communication. If you have 20 minutes, be respectful and stick to the time limit.

Strategy #2: Always focus your communication on your audience

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to buy a gift for someone you didn’t know well? You wander aimlessly from store to store, spending stressful hours trying to think of something that person would really like. Then, you end up settling for a generic item that could fit the bill for anyone but doesn’t make an individual statement (gift card anyone)?

This situation is similar to communicating with an audience you don’t know well. You end up keeping your message generic in an attempt to appeal to anyone and everyone. The result is you don’t connect in a meaningful way and you get a watered-down version of the desired response. 

Creating a message that’s relevant, powerful, and engaging requires that you speak to the issues that really matter to the intended target. That means getting to know as much as you can about your audience or market. If you already have a group of ideal clients or customers, check out this blog post to learn the exact process we use to learn about our current clients and help us with market research and messaging.

Strategy #3: Always keep in mind what you appreciate about your audience

We’ve all heard that over 75% of communication is non-verbal. And it’s true. Our underlying feelings, perceptions, prejudices, and beliefs come through when we’re communicating.

One of the prevailing perceptions I’ve noticed over my life is that no one feels that they are appreciated enough. Whether it’s by our spouses, children, boss, clients, staff, or even ourselves, we rarely have the sense of being appreciated. On those occasions when we are appreciated, it makes our day. The person doing the appreciating leaves a positive impression causing us to want to spend more time with them or reciprocate in some way. Appreciating others has a funny way of reflecting back on us.

Strategy #3 is a clearing exercise before you communicate. It puts you in a state of mind where you can be that person that draws people to you, wanting to reciprocate the good feelings they get from you. Simply ask yourself, what is it that I appreciate about this audience? Not only does it get you focused on the positive, it supports you in letting go of any negative feelings or thoughts that will affect how you communicate with someone or with an audience. In fact, you don’t even need to express this appreciation verbally. Coming from that perspective automatically puts you and your audience in a more appreciative place.

Strategy #4: Always focus on the three key messages you want your audience to remember

We often equate providing more information with providing more value when in reality, we have all the information we could ever need on our phones (and let’s face it – a lot we don’t need). This is a particular danger for professionals who have years of experience and a great depth of knowledge. The impulse is to share all your acquired wisdom because you figure that’s what makes you different from your competitors. 

The same problem exists for those with less experience, though the motivation is different. For those new to a profession, the data dump is equated with providing knowledge to make up for experience. In either case, the old expression “less is more” is very true when it comes to communicating your message to audiences. 

The more information you give, the more that requires evaluating, processing, sorting, and deliberating. Instead, give your audience a break, keep your message simple and clear by focusing on the three key things you want them to remember.

Strategy #5: Always keep the language simple and avoid technical jargon

One of the dangers of being experienced in your field is that you have accumulated language that is specific to your business. It has become second nature to you and provides a shortcut to saying many things in fewer words. The problem is, unless your audience has spent as much time as you learning the acronyms and jargon, you could be leaving them in the dust. 

So, you can address this issue by always using language that your audience will easily understand. By keeping it simple, you ensure that your message is clear and prospects understand the value you are providing. This will increase the chance of you persuading and influencing your audience to make the decision to buy your product or service.

Strategy #6: Always let people know what you want them to do next

I’m going to give you the one tip that, if you do it properly, will yield at least a 25% improvement in your results. Are you ready? 

Be very specific about what you want them to do. 

You’ll know if you’ve done that if you can answer “who does what, and by when?” For example, you may want them to set up an appointment with you in the next week, or you want them to leave their business card with your assistant at the back of the room so you can contact them.

Provide clear direction of how they are to proceed if they are interested in continuing. As communicators, we make the mistake of assuming that our audience knows what they’re supposed to do. This can be a costly assumption on your part! If you want them to engage, give specific direction on how that is done. 

It’s also a good idea to practice your Call To Action out loud. This is not the time for nervousness or winging it. All your results hinge on this final moment. Make it count.

Strategy #7: Always be yourself when communicating with people

We often think that we have to take on a new persona when communicating with people in a more formal setting, and nothing could be further from the truth. We get so caught up in being technically perfect, especially when speaking to a large audience that it distracts us from just being ourselves and being present with our audience. 

While having great technical skills is important, it does not replace the need to be your authentic self when presenting. In fact, audiences will be more forgiving of lapses in skills than they will of someone who is not authentic.

Here’s how to ensure you’re being authentic:

  • Remember that you are an expert. You’re speaking on your topic because you are knowledgeable. So, focus on this as you go into your communication situation. 

 

  • Keep your attention on your audience. By keeping your attention on your audience and not on the critical voices in our heads that we all have, the audience can continue to contribute to the conversation. So just let go and be with people!

 

  • Incorporate personal stories into your presentation. When you’re sharing your personal experiences, it’s easier to be yourself because these are events that have impacted you in some way.

 

  • Always be in touch with why what you’re saying is important and then be willing to be passionate about how you express it.

 

There you have it. The 7 proven strategies that are critical to elevating your sales. Remember to always take the time to prepare for your communication situation; focus all of your attention on your audience; always keep in mind what you appreciate about your audience; give them three key messages to remember; keep it simple, and finally – be yourself. If you follow these steps, you’re well on your way to becoming an exceptional communicator and elevating your sales abilities in the process.

If you or your team are looking for some more guidance in your communication and are curious about where to start, the next round of our Encore Communication Coaching workshop begins on September 13th, and we’d love to have you there.

Encore is a 6-session live coaching workshop (held over three weeks) that will get you crystal clear on your communication, including the strategy and delivery. We’ve had the privilege of working with teams spanning a variety of industries, and we’ve witnessed an average sales increase of 20% after they've gone through this live coaching program. Sound like something you’re interested in? Visit this page or contact us for more details.

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