Tweet

Using Neuro Linguistic Programming Techniques to Get Better Sales Results

Guest post by: Linda Cattelan

Article Overview: Using Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques can help you in your sales process and get you better results. In the selling process someone is always buying. Either the prospect is buying your product, service, idea or you are buying the objection. Your ability to communicate effectively is the key to your success in any sales interaction.

Using Neuro Linguistic Programming Techniques to Get Better Sales Results

We're all in sales whether we want to believe it or not. When was the last time you had to sell your boss or colleagues on an idea you had, or put together a proposal to increase your project budget? When was the last time you had to convince your kids to do something they should have been doing anyway? Whether you are selling a product, a service, a concept or simply influencing others to get to your desired outcome-you are selling!

I find the following 5 step sales process an easy framework to use and remember:

1. Establish and maintain rapport

2. Understand your client or prospect

3. Establish a need/establish value

4. Link the need/value to your product or service

5. Close the sale

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is the study of excellence and excellent communication and how to reproduce it. Your ability to communicate effectively is key to your success in any sales interaction. So, let's consider each of the steps in the 5 step sales process and see how NLP fits in.

1. Establish and maintain rapport

93% of what we communicate is done so unconsciously. It's important then to be aware of how you are communicating so that you can consciously build rapport. Maintaining eye contact when you are speaking or listening to another person is one way to stay connected. Leaning forward and tilting your head slightly to one side when you are listening demonstrates that you are fully engaged and listening to the other person. Matching and mirroring body language, voice and words is another way to build and maintain rapport. Any resistance you encounter simply means you haven't established enough rapport and a good indication to go back and build additional rapport. Building rapport is the first step in achieving better results in sales or in any communication interaction.

2. Understand your client or prospect

The best way to understand your client or prospect is to ask lots of open-ended questions. Asking questions will allow you to get to know your client/prospect better and will allow you to identify if there is a need for your product or service. Find out what's important to them, how they think and process information. Watch their eye patterns as they answer questions to see where they go inside to access internal information. Notice the predicate words they use most often. Do they prefer visual words and descriptors like "I see, I can imagine" or do they have a preference for auditory words "I hear what you mean", "That rings true for me" or are they most comfortable with kinesthetic phrases like "I get what you are saying" "I feel your passion". Having a good grasp on your client or prospect's needs as well as understanding their communication style and preference will better prepare you to communicate with them in a way that will resonate with them.

3. Establish a need/establish value

Once you have established a need, you need to establish value. Would they see any value in solving their problem, or improving their situation? Reinforce their value proposition by asking something like: "Then it would be valuable for you to solve this, wouldn't it? Is this something you would be interested in or not?" This is an important question as they may have a need but not see any value in solving it. Most sales people waste 80% of their time on people who don't buy. You want prospects/clients who will buy so ensuring they value solving their problem is essential to your sales pitch.

4. Link the need/value to your product or service

In the sales process, you are really not selling a product or service. You are selling an emotion. 90% of our mind is unconscious, emotional or irrational while only 10% of our mind is conscious or rational. We think that it's our rational mind making the decision but the fact is that all our memories, feelings and emotions are stored in our unconscious mind. And most of our decisions are made unconsciously. Connecting with your prospect's or client's emotion is the key to your ability to successfully close the sale. For example, a prospect looking at buying a new house may see value in a walk-in closet. You connect her to the feeling she will have when she wakes up in the morning, walks into her closest and feels great about being able to easily see and pick out her clothes in the morning. That feeling will connect her to the house you are selling.

5. Close

If you have successfully followed steps 1 to 4, the close should be easy. Simply ask for the order. Assume the sale all the way through and look for the win-win opportunity.

In the selling process someone is always buying. Either the prospect is buying your product, service, proposal, idea or you are buying the objection. The question is, who is the better salesperson?

Related Articles
  NLP--The Study of Excellence in Communication
  Why should international companies pay more attention to the personal needs of staff when offering them a foreign assignment
  Expatriate counseling uses NLP for Counseling
  NLP - Your Pathway to Personal Success
  E-Mail Tip #34 - Use Neuro-Linguistic Programming
  Fundamentals of NLP
  How Do You Speak to Yourself?
  How to motivate your employees
  How to use NLP for Business?
  Success Tips for More Effective Communication
  Exceptional Business Leaders Know How to Find and Read the Signs Do You
  NLP Model of Communication--4 Pillars to Getting Desired Results

  Awakening the Giant: Tony Robbins is Born
  How to Get What You Want – Part 1
  What is Your Level of Awareness?
  Success or Failure Sequence
  How to Create a Winning Attitude in Your Business
  Walking the Talk: Tony Robbins Becomes a Success
  'How do you explain NLP to others?'

Article Tags: better sales results, buying, close the sale, establish need, establish value, influence others, influencing others, neuro linguistic programing, Neuro Linguistic Programming, neuro linguistic programming techniques, NLP, rapport, sales pitch, sales process, sales results, sales tips and techniques, selling, selling process, selling techniques, selling to prospects, winwin
Referred by: http://www.choice-online.com



Related Forum Posts
Niche social network site - Hm we may help. You're good in SEO? or Programming? If you're good in SEO, I'd invite you to Anoniche, LLP, an Internet based company. We'll offer: Programming / seed money if we decide to take you on. You'll offer: Equal ownership / helping in SEO with our entire network. We're only a few months old, but we do have the ability to assist in a project like this. And yes, I do like the idea. I love community-based sites!
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Seek Venture Capital & Funding - Hello, Greetings from India. I am Seeking Venture Capital for Offshore Software Company Start-up. Need advise along with Business Model Sample. I have a basic outline for an offshore company. 1. Technology - like Microsoft Dot Net, Java, LAMP 2. Talent Team - Found Good Technology Developers. 3. Where I can get the leads/potential customers - Leads have been identified who are willing to move forward offshore projects. 4. I do not have resources like funding. It is a very critical factor to me Industries: Manufacturing, Real Estate, Retail, Insurance, Distribution & Logistics, Healthcare, Industry Associations and Software Product Development, Agricultural Industries and Etc. Services: Offshore Software Development Company. Offices to be located: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and USA. Products/Services/Applications in areas like POS & Billing, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Material Management, Inventory Control, Plant Maintenance, Purchasing, Accounting and Logistics. Dynamic Web Programming with Database Driven Content Management Systems, Online Stores for E-Commerce, B2B Solutions, Community Portals, Website Redesign and Development, Custom ERP with Enterprise Wide Functional Modules such as Marketing, CRM, Accounting, Inventory Control, Sales & Distribution, Production Planning, Purchase & Stores, Logistics and Supply Chain. Seek your further questions and help. Thank you, Best Regards, Jayapratap.
Re: Bad SEO techniques? - There are few more techniques which also known as the Bad SEO Techniques or Black Hat SEO Techniques. Such as: - Relying on keyword metatags - Purchase Links (From Spamming or blacklisted sites or doing purchase links on high level for site marketing) - Horde Page Rank: This is one of my favorites, because it's one that most webmasters don't understand yet. This is because it changed over the past year or two. The concept people have in their mind is that page rank is a key part of site rankings and linking to other sites "leaks page rank" from your site. However, the world has changed. - Swap Links: Another oldie, but not goodie. Search engines want links to represent endorsements. Swapped links represent barter, and they are trivial to detect. Don't swap links for the purpose of building page rank. It's a waste of your time - Implement duplicate content - Use Session IDs on your URLs - Use lots of Javascript - Implement your site in Flash


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What I Really Want Is...

Quick Tips on Buying a Business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.