Stop Shouting

On a vacation to Cancun recently, I witnessed an interesting encounter between a guest and a staff member. The guest, who spoke only English, was trying to communicate something to the staff member, who spoke only Spanish. Clearly frustrated that she was not being understood, the guest’s solution to the language barrier was to shout her request (still in English) even louder to the poor staff member. The encounter only was resolved when an English-speaking staff member intervened.

This scenario plays out often in a sales context as well. Not a literal language barrier, but where the seller and the buyer have different sets of priorities, needs, vocabulary or challenges. Over time, the seller, feeling that they are not being properly understood, resorts to shouting about their product and services to the buyer, who in turn gets frustrated with the seller’s tactics. This shouting can take several different forms, including:

·     Barraging the buyer with multiple emails over a short time period

·     Increasingly desperate tone to communications (email, phone)

·     Talking more about product features and less about benefits

So how can you turn down the volume and start shouting less? Here are a couple of thoughts:

·     Learn a different language - Spend time doing category or industry research. What type of terminology is commonly used? Are there specific industry trends or hot buttons that would make your communications more interesting or relevant? You don’t need to become fluent, but even showing an appreciation for their language will go a long way.

·     Immerse yourself in their culture - Better understand your buyer’s needs or challenges. What are their priorities? Spending more time up front on research can you give better insights into what’s really important to them.

·     Go native - Is there an opportunity to use your clients’ products and services? Can you sign up for their emails or newsletters? Spending time viewing your client from an end-user perspective can provide valuable insights to help your sales efforts.

·     Bring in a translator - Often when selling technology solutions, you’ll run across a potential buyer who has a much deeper technology background, and wants to better understand how your product works. In these situations, don’t try and fake it. Bring in a product specialist or developer, who can help answer their questions and you’ll seem much more credible.

The next time you feel that you’re not being understood properly, resist the urge to start shouting and look for common ground. It will make for a much more satisfying and productive conversation.