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CHALLENGING MESSAGES
Written by: Linda RichardsonArticle Overview: Even in the best of times, change can be stressful — and these are hardly the best of times. If you are faced with announcing a less than welcome change, how you position the message dramatically influences how your sales team will hear it. The following are some ideas to help you and your team deal with the change:
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CHALLENGING MESSAGES
Even in the best of times, change can be stressful - and these are hardly the best of times. If you are faced with announcing a less than welcome change, how you position the message dramatically influences how your sales team will hear it. The following are some ideas to help you and your team deal with the change:
Prepare Your Communication Strategy: Where and When
- Carefully consider timing and impact.
- - Avoid waiting too long or a rumor mill will create its own (worse) message.
- - Deliver the message to people impacted, face-to-face whenever possible.
- - Decide on one-on-one or team.
- Be strategic and if there are a few people in your "inner circle," seek their support before you deliver the message to the full group.
- Prepare the message you want to communicate to ensure you are clear and concise.
- - Be prepared with facts, information, timelines.
- - Choose your words carefully.
- - Think about your audience. In a change situation, the first question on people's minds is: How is this going to affect me?
- Structure the message so people are able to hear it and comprehend what it means.
- - Start by selling the need for change, not by describing the change. Starting with the why will help you get buy-in.
- Position the strategic importance and whatever benefits of the change.
- - Describe the change:
- What will change.
- What will remain the same.
- - Discuss what support will be given.
- - Ask for questions/concerns to uncover resistance around the change: What are your questions or concerns about the impact this might have on you? Be prepared to address questions and keep the focus on what is in it for them.
- - Be patient, empathic, and clarify broad questions before answering.
- - Avoid being defensive.
- - Discuss where in the process you will need your team's support. Ask for their support. Express your support.
- Your attitude about change is contagious. Your team is looking to you for cues for how to respond. Be empathic, strong, supportive, clear, and encouraging.
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Article Tags: Linda Richardson, Richardson Company, Sales Training
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About the Author: Linda Richardson RSS for Linda's articles - Visit Linda's website Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web Click here to visit Linda's website ROOM FOR TWO EXPERTS IN YOUR SALES CALL Debriefing the Team Sales Call ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS Make a List Delete Excuses Talk To Me |
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