How communication styles can enhance adaptive selling skills
In sales it is said that, “people buy from people they trust.” The implication, therefore, for salespeople is to build long-term mutually beneficial relationship with their prospects and customers.
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Building a long-term mutually beneficial relationship with prospects and customers begins with your ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with them.
To be successful at rapport building, you need to demonstrate the following skills: reading and matching the body language of your prospects and customers; their voice qualities (speed, rhythm, tone etc.); their communication style; as well as their interests and experiences.
This article seeks to highlight the important role communication style plays in building a relationship with prospects and customers.
Definition of communication style
“A communication style is the way we share information with others. Although we all like to think that we’re saying exactly what we mean, that’s not always the case because we may be speaking with someone who uses a totally different communication than our own.”
Communication style and personality
Communication style defines (you and me) our personality. Two people with the same communication style may find it easier to develop rapport with each other, whereas two people with different communication styles may find it difficult to do so.
In the same way, salespeople who share the communication style with prospects and customers stand a better chance at developing rapport with them.
On the contrary, communication style bias can develop when a salesperson initiates contact with a prospect/customer whose communication style is the same, than those who don’t have the same communication style.
Communication-style bias can develop when we have contact with another person whose communication style is unlike ours. For example, as buyers how often haven’t we said, “I can’t place a finger on why, but I don’t seem to like that salesperson.”
There are even instances where as a salesperson; you just don’t seem to get on well with a customer and/or always misunderstanding communication between yourselves.
The difference between successful and average salespeople is the dearth of their knowledge and skills in using communication style in relating to prospects and customers. Really effective salespeople:
- Are aware of their own communication style;
- Can easily identify their customers’ preferences;
- Instinctively tailor their own communication style to suit the customer they are communicating with by matching body language, voice qualities and words; and
- Achieve high levels of rapport and understanding as a result.