Picture this!  Communicating for Results

You are in sales, tasked with achieving results set by your organization. How do you get your prospects genuinely interested in engaging with you and considering what you offer in today's complex, global marketplace?

And if you are in senior management, how do you communicate effectively to motivate your team, develop your managers and leaders, and inspire contributtions that drive organizational growth?

The answer lies in effective communication - adapting your style to suit your colleagues, customers, management and any stakeholders in every situation.  When you communicate in ways that align with how others prefer to receive and proces information, you build trust, respect, and stronger relationship.

Four Tips of Effective Communication

1. Respect others' Perspective.  The foundation of good communications is the feeling that every human being is unique and of value. You may disagree with your colleague, customers, and superiors on particular issues.  To respect them is to understand that each person is unique with different values and beliefs from their cultural backgrounds or experiences. Based on that understanding, you listen and respect their point of views, which leads to more open communication adn that builds trust.

2. Adapt Your Communication Style. Even when you think you have communicated clearly,  the message may not land as intended. According to NLP reserach:

People process information differently. Some people are more visual than auditory when receiving information.

• 35-40% of people are visual - they understand through images, charts and symbols
• 20-25% are auditory - they process information by listening and discussing. 
• 40% are kinaesthetic  - they learn best through hands-on-expereince.

In sales, this means tailoring your approach:  use visuals (e.g., by sharing brochures that capture all the facts in graphs and flowcharts) for visual learners,  engage in discussion for auditory thinkers (e.g., by asking questions, discussing and analysing the product advantages), and offer product demo for Kinaesthetic buyers. Matching your communication style to their preferences enhances rapport and results. 

3. Balance Big Picture and Detail.  Some people think strategically and want to see the big picture -  “increase sales by 20%.”. Others prefer detailed explanations of how things work -step-by-step instrustions. When selling or presenting, adjust your message accordingly: highlight results for visionaries, and provide clarity for detail-oriented individuals.

The ability to communicate information in detail and from the big picture will definitely enhance your sales interaction with your buyers.

4. Build Rapport through Subtly Matching. Trust grows when people feel understood. You can build rapport by subtly matching the other person’s tone, pace, gestures, posture and even vocabulary. For example, use industry-specific terms familiar to your clients. This mirroring should always feel natural — never forced — to create comfort and connection.

These matching and/or mirroring techniques have to be subtle and appropriate in a natural way without causing the others to become uncomfortable.

“In many ways, effective communication begins with mutual respect — communication that inspires and encourages others to do their best.” — Zig Ziglar 

Start by respecting others’ views, using words and body language that build rapport, and communicating in ways that align with how people think and process information. That’s how you create meaningful relationships and achieve better business outcomes.

Questions: What’s your go-to strategy for adapting your communication style to connect better with others?

By Cecilia Sim

Strategy Training Partner, Facilitator, and Consultant 

www.softskillsnet.com.sg