I am always amazed when I get to see mastery in sales at work and how the best can make it look effortless and it really isn’t sales at all but something that is natural and who they are like poetry in motion. The legend, my friend and one of my mentors Floyd Wickman taught us to be effective consultants and not sales person’s with people by using what he called the "Diamond of Salesmanship."
4 Points to the Diamond of Salesmanship
The Diamond of salesmanship was the perfect tool to help come across as a consultant or an advisor with people and not another salesperson. These four powerful activities allowed the best of the best to get the result they were wanting on almost every single appointment and you can to.
- At the top of the diamond was “Use their names” when meeting with people. When you use someone’s name a lot they begin to feel like they are important and special to you. Using their names a lot also makes people trust and like you faster during your time with them.Let’s be honest here, who doesn’t like to hear someone say your name over and over again? I don’t know about you but personally I love this part of the diamond for another reason and that is I am excellent with faces but absolutely terrible with names and using someone’s name over and over again helps me internalize and remember their names so much easier.
- The second point on the diamond of salesmanship is “Ask questions” the world’s greatest conversationalist is someone who says little or nothing because they ask powerful engaging questions and are then quiet and listen.Wouldn’t you all agree it is not by chance we all have 2 ears and one mouth and we were designed to speak less and listen more. The most difficult skill for myself is to ask more questions and to listen more and be present and attentive to the other person and their needs and not my own needs. When we ask more questions and let the other do the talking you find them saying “I don’t know what it is but I feel like I know you and that I could talk to you forever" and you just smile and say, "I get that a lot.” So remember, ask questions and listen more and you get the results you want.
- The next point on the diamond of salesmanship is “Facial expressions and Voice inflections” the greatest part of communication is the non-verbal piece. Your client clearly understands and hears you better when communicating with the right facial expressions and voice inflections. We have all heard that your energy level changes when you smile while talking over the phone. The English language is so complex when you say a word and end it with a up voice or down voice inflection. For example the difference between really and reeeeaaallly.The first is heard like you are surprised or wow. The second is a response is heard as possibly an exaggeration. Never forget that almost 86% of communication in sales is from your facial expression and tone or voice inflection every time.
- The fourth and final point of the diamond of salesmanship it “Visuals” never "tell" but always "show and sell". In sales we have always heard the statement “talk is cheap” and this is so important when dealing with others and not to tell but use visuals to show and sell.Half of the people we deal with are auditory learners and half are visual learners including myself but you will never know which one the client is so never tell, rather show and sell. Honestly the most powerful sales tool on the planet is a note pad and pen. While I am communicating I am always writing, drawing while communicating to visual enhance my communication with the other party.
So there you have it, the four things you do at any appointment to get the results you are wanting. Take the time to study and practice these skills and please don’t practice this on your clients first but on your peers, family member or spouse and become proficient in the diamond of salesmanship and take your business and effectiveness to another level.
Strength and courage,
Wade
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