Communication Skills

1. Communication Skills Becoming An Effective Communicator & ADAPT

2. Communication Effectiveness Leads to Success • Communication Defined: • Process in which information and understanding are conveyed in a two way exchange between 2 or more people • Components: • Listening • Talking (asking for and giving information) • Writing • Reading • Nonverbal

3. Persuade Through Effective Communication • Change perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes • Benefits to switch vendors • Address unidentified or latent needs • Demonstrate how you can assist your clients in achieving their objectives or goals

4. How Messages Are Communicated • Three Elements Of Communication • The Actual Words Spoken 10% “Content” [verbal] • What is Actually Heard 40% • Tone of Voice • Vocal Clarity • Verbal Expressiveness • What is Seen and Felt 50% “Context” [nonverbal] • Facial Expressions • Dress & Grooming • Posture • Eye Contact • Touching and Distance • Gestures • Important to focus on message delivery!

5. Improving Message Content • Practice & preparation • Use of scripts • Creativity

6. Improving Message Delivery • Tone of Voice – Vocal Exercises • Breathing with your diaphragm • Resonating

7. Vocal Exercises • Breathing With Your Diaphragm • Breathe from your belly • Place one hand over your navel. Slowly inhale one long breath through your mouth while silently counting “one…two…three…four.” • Your stomach should expand, pushing your hand forward. (Your shoulders and chest should not move) • Feel your hand move out as you pull the breath deep into your lungs. • Hold the breath counting to four and then exhale slowly while counting silently to four.

8. Vocal Exercises • Developing Resonance • Utilize your diaphragm – the mouth is merely used as an “echo chamber” to shape the sounds. • The ooom drill – done standing and fully relaxed • Take a deep breath and then let the air out. • NOW take three deep breaths and when you let the third one out use your vocal cords and with the sound coming from your diaphragm, voice the sound of oooooooooo until all the air is expelled. • Do this three times in a row in a very relaxed state. DO NOT FORCE THE AIR OUT. Let it flow naturally. • Now start again, only this time near the end of the ooooooo sound add the sound of “m” so that the sound will come out like oooooooommmmm. Also roll your mouth around and close it when you're making the m part of the sound. • REMEMBER the sound comes from your diaphram. • After doing this exercise, speak whatever you want to say utilizing the same principles and you will discover a dynamic new voice. • Repeat this exercise three times.

9. Improving Message Delivery • Enunciation • PBTGK • Tongue twisters • How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit if a sheet slitter could slit sheets? • She stood on the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccupping and amicably welcoming him in • Seven sleazy shysters in sharkskin suits sold sheared sealskins to seasick sailors • Conversation Fillers • Non-verbal Communication • Expressiveness

10. Practicing Expressiveness • Ecstatically happy versus extremely sad • I just got a call saying that I won a vacation in Las Vegas. • I’m going to have to change that light bulb. • My next door neighbor is moving out next week. • I’m seeing an attorney about getting a divorce. • Truly believe versus disbelief • You’ll never regret buying our product/service. • This extended warranty is a great deal. • This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

11. Importance of Listening • Develop trust with your buyer • Ensure understanding • The listening challenge • Typical Rates of Speech 180 - 230 wpm • Typical Rates of Listening 390 – 420 wpm

12. Steps to Active Listening • Appropriate Body Language • Eye contact • Body position • Open & receptive to buyer’s words • Appropriate Comments To Advance The Conversation • Make statements or ask questions indicating you’re listening • Summarize Buyer’s Statements • Example: • “Let me make sure I understand what you’re saying. You mentioned that your current insurance agent has not responded in a timely manner when you’ve called for quotes or questions about your policy. You believe it takes too long for him to return your calls and you’re looking for an agent that you can reach within 2-3 hours of placing a call. Is that correct?”

13. Importance of Questions • Generate Buyer Involvement • Provoke Thinking • Gather Information • Clarify And Emphasize • Show Interest • Gain Confirmation • Advance The Sale

14. Developing Questions Diagnostic Questions General Broad • Open-ended • OR – • Closed-ended Surgical Questions Specific Narrow Adapted from Selling ASAP by Jones, Stevens & Chonko page 233

15. Developing Questions • Diagnostic Questions • Broad questions to obtain general background-type information • Tell me about the insurance programs you currently have. • What is your plan for ensuring your family/business has the appropriate level of financial security? • Surgical Questions • Narrow questions designed to gather more specific information about particular issues or concerns uncovered with diagnostic questions • You mentioned that the current term life insurance you have is sufficient. What does sufficient mean to you – can you quantify that? • Probing Questions • Attempt to dig deeper into the prospect’s responses • You mentioned that your current coverage will be enough to cover your family’s debts and replace a portion of your income. Will this enable your family to maintain its current lifestyle should something happen to you?

16. ADAPT: A Questioning Methodology • Objective: Gain Information to Advance the Sale • Successful sales representatives ask questions in a flexible, yet structured way • Buyer responses enable the sales representative to select the next question or next phase of the sales call

17. Funneling Sequence of the ADAPT Technique • Assessment Questions • Broad-based and general facts describing situation • Non-threatening as no interpretation is requested • Discovery Questions • Questions probing information gained • Seek to uncover problems or dissatisfactions leading • To buyer needs • Activation Questions • Show negative impact of problem or positive • Impact of opportunity • Designed to activate interest in taking action • Projection Questions • Projects what life would be like without problem • Buyer establishes value of finding & implementing solution • Transition Questions • Confirms interest • Transitions to presentation of solution

18. Example • Buyer’s Need (Commercial Lines Insurance) • Hire and retain the best employees in order to achieve the organization’s goals • Assessment • How many people are employed with your company? • Approximately how many years have your personnel been with the company? • Discovery • How satisfied are you with your ability to attract and retain high quality employees? • Activation • What’s the impact of the employee turnover on you and your business? • Projection • If your employee turnover could be reduced, how would that affect your business? • Solution – Employee benefit package

19. Example • Buyer’s Need (Packaging & Shipping) • Reduce breakage and damage claims and improve customer satisfaction by ensuring complete shipment is delivered intact. • Assessment • I understand that some of the items you ship are glass items that are breakable. Do you ever experience any breakage during freight? • When customers contact you regarding the breakage, how do they describe the typical physical condition of the shipping materials? • Has your current shipping vendor ever evaluated the shipping materials you utilize to package your breakable items? • What is the process you utilize to handle breakage claims by customers? • Discovery • How often would you say you experience breakage of products while in transit to your customers? What percent of the time do you have breakage? • How much time do your customer service agents spend handling breakage claims? • Do you experience any problems with your current shipping vendor when reporting the damage claims and resolving issues related to incorrect handling of your packages? • Activation • What’s the average dollar loss per product shipment? In a typical month, how much money is lost due to breakage claims? • On average, what’s the typical hourly wage of your customer service agents? • Projection • If you had a vendor who could assist you with package design through a package test laboratory and receive expert recommendations regarding improvements that would lead to a reduction in product breakage, how would that affect your business? • Also, better package design leading to deductions in damage claims would also affect the time your customer service agents spend managing those claims. How would this affect their productivity and your business operations? • Solution – Package Design Services