1. Chapter 4 Using Communication Principles to Build Relationships

2. Learning Objectives
What are the basic elements in the communication process?
Why are listening and questioning skills important?
How can salespeople develop listening skills to collect information about customers?

3. Learning Objectives How do people communicate without using words?
What are some things to remember when communicating via technology like phones, , and social media?
How does a salesperson adjust for cultural differences?

4. Two-Way Communication Process
Encoding: Translation of thoughts into words
Decoding: Interpreting the meaning of the received message
Feedback: Reply to the message

5. Exhibit 4.1 - Two-Way Flow of Information

6. Communication breakdowns
Encoding and decoding problems
Environment in which the communications occur
Noises: Sounds unrelated to messages being exchanged
Physical comfort
Buyers do not always follow this communication model perfectly

7. Sending Verbal Messages Effectively
Choice of words
Use short words and phrases to:
Demonstrate strength and force
Provide charm and grace
Avoid
Trite words
Phrases that sound overeager
Off-color language
Slang or foul language

8. Sending Verbal Messages Effectively
Draw on a set of words to best help present the features of a product or service
Do not use words that have become common and meaningless
Use culture specific words

9. Sending Verbal Messages Effectively
Voice characteristics
Rate of speech - Faster rate for simple messages
Slower rate for more difficult concepts
Loudness: Should be tailored to the communication situation
Inflection: Tone or pitch of speech
Articulation: Production of recognizable sounds

10. Sending Verbal Messages Effectively
Stories
Conflicts, trials, and crises
Help listener think through choices and outcomes of those decisions
Word picture: Graphic or vivid story designed to help the buyer easily visualize a point
Analogy: Speaker attempts to draw a parallel between one thing and another
Keep open lines of communication

11. Active Listening 80-20 listening rule
Listening percent of the time
Talking - 20 percent or less of the time
Speaking-listening differential: Difference between the rate at which people speak and listen

12. Exhibit 4.3 - Levels of Listening

13. Active Listening
Think about the conclusions toward which the speaker is building
Evaluate the evidence being presented
Sort out important facts from irrelevant ones
Attempt to draw out as much information as possible

14. Suggestions for Active Listening
Repeating information
To verify information being collected
Restating or rephrasing information
To verify a customer’s intent
Clarifying information
To verify a customer’s meaning

15. Suggestions for Active Listening
Summarizing the conversation
To get a quick review
Tolerating silences
To give customer time to think
Concentrating on the ideas being communicated
To avoid getting distracted

16. Reading Nonverbal Messages from Customers
Body language
Nonverbal communication: Body language, space, and appearance

17. Reading Nonverbal Messages from Customers
Body angle
Face
Arms
Hands
Legs

18. Exhibit 4.4 - Patterns of Nonverbal Reactions to Presentation

19. Body Language Patterns
Signals that customers may be hiding their true feelings
Contradictions and verbal mistakes
Differences in two parts of a conversation
Contradictions between verbal and nonverbal messages
Nonverbal signals

20. Sending Messages with Nonverbal Communication
Using body language
Facial muscles - Involuntary, especially during stressful situations
Eye contact
Gestures and hand shaking
Posture and body movements

21. Role of Space and Physical Contact
Distance zones
Intimate zone: For a person’s closest relationships
Personal zone: For close friends and those who share special interests
Social zone: For business transactions and other impersonal relationships
Public zone: For speeches, teachers in classrooms, and passersby

22. Exhibit 4.6 - Distance Zones for Interaction

23. Role of Space and Physical Contact
Buyers fall into two touching groups
Contact - See noncontact people as cold and unfriendly
Noncontact - View contact people as overly friendly and obtrusive

24. Appearance Priorities in dressing for business are:
Getting customers to notice you in a positive way
Getting customers to trust you
Proper attire and grooming give salespeople additional poise and confidence

25. Principles to Dress for Success
Temperature
Local cultural norms
Consider the geography
Their appearance
Their expectations of your appearance
Consider customers
Norms for your industry
Consider corporate culture
Top levels of your organization
Dress above your position
Consider aspirations
Wait until you have the halo effect
Be reasonable
Consider personal style

26. Communicating via Technology
Salespeople communicate with customers by using different methods that vary in:
Interactivity of the communications
Ability to use verbal and nonverbal communication channels
Quantity of information that can be conveyed
Response time: Time between sending a message and getting a response to it

27. Exhibit 4.7 - Comparison of Various Methods of Salesperson Communications

28. Telephone Communications
Decide what to say before calling
Be polite, enthusiastic, and an active listener
Take notes and restate the message
Encourage two-way communication with verbal cues
Give customer opportunity to ask questions

29. Voice Mail Communications
When cold calling, set up an appointment, don’t leave a message
Leave a clear, concise message including a suggested time for a return call
Avoid wasting the prospect’s time and ask for a callback
Give name and phone number at the end of the message

30. E-mail Communication Immediacy does not mean intimacy
Use meaningful subject lines
Put important information in the first few lines
Be careful of the tone or intent of
Learn customer preferences for
Avoid techno overkill
Avoid sending long messages or large attachments
Use speed to impress customers
Do not deliver bad news via
Check for timing before sending an
Suggestions

31. Social Networking Use of Web tools that allow users to:
Share content
Interact
Develop communities around similar interests
Salespeople use it to communicate with customers and prospects

32. Social Networking
Fill out your profile completely to build trust and establish common bonds
Create contacts/friends lists
Follow all rules for the networking sites
Share articles and links to presentations and other information that might be helpful to prospects
Remember to post updates on your wall about your business
Combine your social media accounts
Respond quickly to posts and queries
Add your Facebook/LinkedIn URL to your signature
Suggestions

33. Adjusting for Cultural Differences
Rules for using English in international selling
Use common English words
Use words that do not have multiple meanings
Avoid slang expressions peculiar to American culture
Use rules of grammar strictly
Use action-specific verbs
Never use vulgar expressions

34. Adjusting for Cultural Differences
Considerations for international salespeople
Terms have different meanings in different cultures
Varying perceptions of time in general
Time it takes for business activities to occur in different countries
Level of eye contact to be used