1. Communication Skills
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2. Learning Objectives
Explain the importance of collaborative, two- way communication in trust-based selling
Explain the primary types of questions and how they are applied in selling
Illustrate the diverse roles and uses of strategic questioning in trust-based selling
Identify and describe the five steps of the ADAPT questioning sequence for effective fact- finding and needs discovery

3. Learning Objectives (continued)
Discuss the four sequential steps for effective active listening
Discuss the superiority of pictures over words for explaining concepts and enhancing comprehension
Describe and interpret the different forms of nonverbal communication

4. Sales Communication as a Collaborative Process
Trust-based sales communication
Collaborative and two-way form of communication
Allows buyers and sellers to understand the need by working together to create the best solution for customers
Salespeople must ask carefully crafted questions to the customer to:
Elicit information from a prospective buyer
Redirect, regain, or hold the buyer’s attention

5. Types of Questions Based on the Amount and Specificity of Information Desired
Open-end
Allows free customer response
Closed-end
Limits the customers’ response to one or two words
Dichotomous
Customer needs to select from two or more options

6. Types of Questions Based on Strategic Purpose
Probing question
Elicits articulate and precise responses from the customer
Evaluative question
Uses open-end and closed-end question formats to discover attitudes, opinions, and preferences that the prospect holds
Tactical question
Used to shift the topic when the conversation goes off course
Reactive question
Question based on the information provided previously by the other party

7. Questioning system that sequences four types of questions designed to:
SPIN
Questioning system that sequences four types of questions designed to:
Uncover a buyer’s current situation and inherent problems
Enhance the buyer’s understanding of the consequences and implications of those problems
Leads to the proposed solution

8. Types of Questions under SPIN
Situation
Problem
Implication
Need-payoff

9. ADAPT
Logic-based funnelling sequence of questions that identifies and assesses the buyer’s situation
Assessment
Discovery
Activation
Projection
Transition

10. 4.1 Funnelling Sequence of ADAPT Technique for Needs Discovery

11. Ethical Dilemma

12. Facets of Listening Paraphrasing and repeating Monitoring nonverbals
Making no assumptions
Encouraging the buyer to talk
Visualizing
Paying attention

13. Types of Listening Social Serious
Informal mode of listening associated with day-to-day conversation and entertainment
Serious
Involves sorting, interpreting, understanding, and responding received messages

14. 4.3 SIER Hierarchy of Active Listening

15. Keys to Effective Listening
Find areas of interest
Keep an open mind
Judge content not delivery
Keys to effective listening
Capital on fact that thought is faster than speech
Hold your fire until full consideration
Listen for ideas
Exercise the mind
Be flexible
Resist distractions
Work at listening

16. Words and symbols mean different things to different people
Verbal Communication
Statements of fact, opinion, and attitude encoded in the form of words, pictures, and numbers to convey meaning to a receiver
Words and symbols mean different things to different people
To maximize clarity, understand and use the vocabulary and terminology that corresponds with the perspective of the customer

17. Superiority of Pictures
Pictures tend to be more memorable than their verbal counterparts
Verbal message should be constructed in a manner that generates a mental picture in the receiver’s mind
Words and phrases that convey concrete and detailed meaning should be used
Relevant visual sales aids should be incorporated into verbal communication

18. Impact of Poor Grammar
Meaning and credibility of the message are downgraded
Receiver begins to focus on the sender rather than the message
Receiver dismisses the sender and the sender’s organization from performing the role of an effective supplier and partner

19. Impact of Logical Sequencing
Provides clarity and assists the receiver in following the facts
If not followed:
Presentation will be inefficient and ineffective
Receiver will have to ask many questions to gain clarity
Receiver may dismiss the sender as incompetent

20. Nonverbal Communication
Facial expressions and eye movements
Placement and movements of hands, arms, head, and legs
Body posture and orientation
Proxemics
Variation in voice characteristics
Speaking rate and pause duration, pitch or frequency, and intensity and loudness
Nonverbal clusters

21. 4.4 Personal Space and Interpersonal Communication

22. 4.8 Common Nonverbal Clusters

23. 4.8 Common Nonverbal Clusters (continued)

24. Key Terms Trust-based sales communication Open-end questions
Closed-end questions
Dichotomous questions
Probing questions
Evaluative questions
Tactical questions
Reactive questions
SPIN
Situation questions
Problem questions
Implication questions
Discovery questions
Activation questions
Projection questions
Transition questions

25. Key Terms (continued) Social listening Serious listening
Active listening
SIER
Nonverbal communication
Proxemics
Nonverbal clusters

26. Summary
Trust-based sales communication is a two- way collaborative interaction
Questions are classified based on amount and specificity of information desired and strategic purpose
SPIN and ADAPT are used to achieve multiple objectives
Active listening involves sensing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding
Pictures help people in understanding ideas than abstract words and symbols