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CAN YOUR SALES TEAM SEE INSIDE YOUR CUSTOMERS MINDS?
How beneficial would it be for your business if your sales team could predict a customer’s behaviour? If they could manage a conversation which would work at the same level as the customer to understand the buying messages? Or even, if your Sales Manager understands the team so completely that he or she is able to communicate effectively with them to deliver a positive outcome?
Matt Caulfield is a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) specialist who works with many organisations and business from a wide variety of sectors to improve the productivity and effectiveness of their workforce. NLP relies on the positive reinforcement of messages to achieve certain goals, a kind of ‘reprogramming’ of the brain. By a way of understanding thought patterns and attitudes NLP brings out the best in people helping them to perform naturally, at their very best.
The brain is like a very complex computer, which many don’t realise can be reprogrammed to achieve whatever we want, even goals which we may have thought of as unachievable. By studying people who are successful at the same goal, an NLP specialist will reinforce positive messages based on the successful behaviour patterns, to help achieve the same result in another person. NLP specialists study people’s senses and behaviour to gain knowledge of their communication structures, and then reinforce positive messages to achieve certain goals.
“We all use language in a different way but if you can understand how someone uses language and their behavioural patterns you can communicate with them at their level,” explains Matt. “What this means is that when you communicate like this you can work more effectively to achieve what you want, in this case, a sale.”
By working closely with the team, Matt can understand how they work together and how they are communicating with customers. He then explains to them how to understand customers buying processes and the decisions the customers go through before they decide to purchase.
“When working over the phone the system works by listening closely to what the customer is saying,” commented Matt. “But it’s not just a case of listening normally it’s a more intense version of listening, noting the intonation of the voice and considering their behaviour and then using that information to your advantage.”
NLP is based on the idea that mind, body and language interact to create an individual's perception of the world and that perceptions, and hence behaviors, can be changed by the application of a variety of techniques including motivational ones. Matt has worked in Call Centres across the UK working with Sales Teams to positively influence their sales techniques with some impressive results.
“Customers can be sceptical at first, believing that NLP is some kind of hypnotherapy but it is not that theatrical. People invariably don’t really listen to what people are saying, or have what many will describe as ‘selective hearing’ and on the other side of the coin, many people won’t actually say what they really mean. But if you combine listening with observing behaviour you will understand exactly what someone is trying to say to you and this will then give you the ability to respond in a way which should enable you to reach a positive outcome.”
This is a positive training tool which not only appears to substantially and positively effect productivity within a sales environment, but can also create a sales team which not only communicates with customers more effectively but also with each other and with management. The long term effect of this on a business can be extremely beneficial.
ENDS
For more information please contact Clive Reeves on 01543 501111 or email clive@wardlovett.com