A Lean Communication Skill to Boost Sales

To illustrate why Clarity in communication is so important in sales, let’s go back to our goal of simplified communication: improving the listener’s RoTE or return on time and effort. By making your sales communication clear, you can reduce the effort for buyers to understand and treat your message as intended. So, by being transparent, you make the buyer’s job easier and, at the same time, reduce the risk of misunderstandings.

As if the benefits to buyers weren’t enough, clarity in communication can help you sell in three ways. It increases personal confidence, makes messages more credible, and increases the likelihood of action. Your confidence will grow; You will look natural for the simple reason that you are real. People will sense that you are yourself and not a salesperson doing them favors, and they will respond. Also, if you try to explain something, others may conclude that you don’t understand it.

Second, as Daniel Kahneman said, accessible = accurate.[1] It is an abbreviation that means that what is easy to understand is the reality in our minds. The clarity in communication makes it easier to understand the more it sounds like a “good idea.” No one likes to be overwhelmed, and it might not be up to par if it’s difficult to open the “package” the messages come in.

Finally, clarity enables action in two ways. Transparency increases the likelihood of a purchase, making it easier for buyers to choose. You may be familiar with an experiment where researchers set up jam-tasting tables in grocery stores. As they released 24 flavors, more people stopped by and tried them. Fewer people visited when there were only six options, but they were more likely to buy something and be satisfied with their purchase.[2] And in B2B sales, if you want someone to support you internally, they will need help understanding the complexity of your message.

The first rule of clarity is to be open and direct. As I’ve written before, openness is about choosing to say something, and being honest is how you say it. As a seller, you want to present your solution in the best possible way, and there is no need to reveal warts or flaws. Your competitor will do this for you. However, feel free to answer openly and directly if you ask about a weakness. You can stand up before asking and earn a lot of respect. (Answer p)

Facilitated communication aims to be as direct as possible, but it takes more work to move quickly in sales conversations for two reasons. First, if you know that a competitor’s offer has glaring weaknesses, it may be more professional or prudent to be less direct about it. Second, it’s easy to backfire by being too plain and telling customers why they should buy. It’s usually best to ask questions to lead him to conclusions indirectly.

The second rule of thumb is to use easy-to-use language for Clarity in communication. Speak in terms they can understand and, most importantly, remember when a decision needs to be made. When things are vague or abstract, we are less likely to understand and remember them.

Storytelling: Storytelling is the most accessible communication tool because if you choose the right words and deliver them well, you can do much with fewer words. The most compelling sales stories are those of similar customers in similar circumstances.

Analogy: An analogy connects a vague idea with something familiar, making it clear, and a well-chosen idea grabs the listener’s immediate attention. The most potent analogy is comparing something to the buyer’s own company. For example, a sales force can be likened to a customer to emphasize the importance of value-based selling when putting pressure on prices.

Visual: The cliché that “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true. Despite the misconception that people have different sensory preferences, we are all visual. But it also means you must be very careful about what images you put in your presentation. Ditch all the canned photos of products and happy customers. Not worth it, but memorable.