Language of Sales

CHAPTER 1

WHY WE CALL SALES A LANGUAGE

"We're trying to engage people rather than dictate how they should be thinking."
- Neville Brody

When you think of the word "language," what comes to mind? We believe for many people "language," quite simply, is a tool used to communicate with others. Merriam-Webster defines language as "the system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings to each other."

Our definition of the language of sales includes Merriam-Webster's definition with the added position that the goal for our use of language goes beyond communication to persuasion. The language of sales is primarily used to educate others about the value of our ideas, concepts, products or services, and then to generate decisions on the part of others. Hopefully, the decisions others arrive at are the same as ours-that they will have happier lives, more efficient and profitable companies, and greater overall success by choosing to own our ideas, concepts, products or services. In order to communicate those points well, we need to be flexible and well-versed enough to educate others using a variety of words until we hit upon the ones that truly connect with them.

LANGUAGE FLUENCY

How do you know that you can speak a language fluently? Is it when you feel comfortable with it? Or, is it when someone else understands you well enough to exchange ideas or come to an agreement? When it comes to the language of selling, we believe it's the latter. However, most often, the latter is dependent on the former.

When you're uncomfortable with the words you're using, it becomes obvious to your listeners. When they recognize your discomfort, their defenses are likely to go up making the continuation of the conversation or sales process more challenging than when you are comfortable with what you're saying. This is where dedication to your craft becomes very important.

It's critical to become fluent in a language in order to comprehend how to use it most effectively. This includes the language of sales. We become proficient through study, practice, observation, and more practice. In this book, we will help you recognize communication flaws and provide suggestions and strategies to overcome them. You will do well to read and take to heart the wisdom in this book as it's based on our own experiences with selling-both traditional where we moved people to purchase products and private where we have been persuasive in our personal lives.

However, you won't develop your own fluency by reading this book. You only develop fluency through practice. Make a commitment to put into practice the advice we are providing. Try it on. Test it out with family members, friends and associates. Practice some more. Then, test it with buyers. Observe how they respond to you. Always be on the lookout for new ways of describing what your products do for people; new ways of engaging them in conversations about your ideas.

WHAT'S YOUR INTENT IN COMMUNICATING?

Before beginning any communication, it's wise to set your intention for it. Communication is about intention and the ability to convey messages to others. For most of us who earn a living selling, our intention is to make sales, right? That's the overall big picture. However, when we break the sales process down into steps, our intentions for each step may vary.

We may desire to:

1. Make connections in such a way that others want to converse with us
2. Help others perceive us as experts in our fields
3. Draw information from others that will help us direct or guide conversations
4. Educate others with our product knowledge, experience, and expertise
5. Help others rationalize concerns about our products
6. Generate positive agreement that leads to decisions

Those six intentions are representative of the six steps in the sales process.

They are:

1. Prospecting
2. Establishing rapport
3. Qualifying
4. Demonstrating or presenting products
5. Overcoming objections or addressing concerns
6. Closing the sale or asking for the decision

Those outside of the field of sales could consider the components of the language of sales and their titles "sales jargon." Jargon is something you want to avoid if you intend to earn the income of a top sales producer. It can quickly lead to misunderstanding. You want to learn, early in your conversations with buyers, how familiar they are with your industry terminology before you say something that throws the sales process off course.

An important premise in the world of communication-especially in sales-is that a confused mind always says "no." Unless you are communicating with others who are in sales, avoid sales jargon. Avoid industry jargon unless you know the other parties to the conversation are well-versed in it.

Even though someone may be responsible for purchasing your type of product or service, they may not be deeply versed in the language. Or, you may be making a presentation to a group or committee in which the members have varying degrees of understanding of the more technical aspects of your products. Keep in mind that your goal is to always make the other parties feel comfortable and confident with you.

If you sell primarily in a single field, say to those in the medical arena, it is important that you learn their jargon. Again, the goal is to speak with them on the same level of understanding.

If teachers are your target market, do research on specific issues they face inside the classroom and out in the world. The same goes for consumers. When you sell to consumers, this can be a little more challenging because your buyers may include a mix of doctors, teachers, construction workers; people from any variety of fields. Knowing how to establish common ground with them is a critical skill to develop. You want to be able to create analogies specific to each person's understanding of the language you use.

VARIATIONS OF LANGUAGE

For a moment, let's compare sales language to sports and all the words, phrases, symbols, codes, and other forms of communication that are used. You must know the language of a particular sport in order to truly understand the game, right? If you are interested enough in a sport to follow and become engaged in watching it, understanding the terminology allows you to do so in a more rewarding manner. Otherwise, you may watch a sporting event with others, but won't truly engage.

As an example, in baseball, you have words like pitch, catch, hit, field, run, bunt, swing, curve, slider, knuckle, single, double, triple, homer, plate, foul, fair, safe, squeeze, and out. This isn't even all the words that are used when describing the different things that can happen in a baseball game but imagine if you were watching or attending a game and didn't know what these words meant in the context of the game. It would certainly make it difficult to follow the game enthusiastically from start to finish. You may not understand the reaction of others around you or the repercussions of certain actions on the field.

How about language in the workplace or in a particular industry? What if you were in the insurance industry for example and you spoke "insurance-ese" every day-a language you and your fellow "insurance speakers" all understood? Perhaps you would walk into your office one day and have your boss ask whether you are quoting a liability, worker's compensation, auto, property, inland marine, boiler and machinery, or excess policy for a client. When you understand the language of insurance, you answer quickly. When you don't understand the language, the conversation might become awkward when you asked what one or all of these means. If you don't understand a language fluently or can't speak a language or sub-language fluently, you cannot get the most out of every situation you are in.

Here is another example: Imagine going to a foreign country and trying to get by without knowing the language or putting forth the effort to speak it. Think about how much you would potentially miss knowing you couldn't communicate as easily as you do in your native tongue. You might miss some of the best sights. You may have less-than-satisfying meals. You may pay too much for something or even get lost.

Based on this premise, can you imagine trying to make a career out of something that in order to be extremely successful would require studying your "vocational language" every day and consciously choosing not to do it? It just doesn't make sense, does it?

EVERYONE SELLS SOMETHING

Mastering the language of sales is critical for those of us who have chosen selling as our careers. That's a no-brainer. However, it's also critical to others as the communication skills necessary for sales easily carry over to other areas of our lives.

Here's a great example of what we are talking about. If you have children, you are constantly "selling" them on your ideas about how things should be done-about how to get along with others and how to get along in the world. You don't just let them do whatever they want. We all want our children to become upstanding citizens and valuable contributors to society, and we sell them on that every day through our words and actions.

How about your relatives? Do you find yourself trying to convince them of something you want to do or...