Think of tonality as a combination of volume and energy. Imagine that you are listening to an orchestra perform. If one musician were to play louder than all the others, it would be disconcerting and would sound dreadful. And if all the musicians were sitting and playing while a certain violinist was jumping up and down, wouldn’t that strike you as odd?
Think of the sales presentation as a dance with your potential clients. If they’re slow dancing, then you should be slow dancing. If they’re doing the twist, shouldn’t you be twisting the night away, too?
Louder, more boisterous individuals may be made to feel uncomfortable by a quiet sales rep. Shy, introverted folks may view a loud, animated rep as threatening. Learn to move intuitively toward a corresponding feeling state and communicate in the tone that’s appropriate to it.
WATCH YOUR CUSTOMERS Another way to generate better rapport is by matching the prospect’s physical behaviors. That simply means do what they do. Sit like they sit, breathe like they breathe, move like they move, talk like they talk. People find comfort in similarities. The more akin you can make yourself to them physically, the better rapport you’re likely to generate.
We of course don’t want future customers to think we’re mimicking them. Matching physical behaviors must be subtle. Take sitting, for example: Some people lean forward attentively as they listen, others lean back in their chair with their fingers intertwined behind the head. By mirroring their method you’re creating a comfort zone.
Most of the time people are not conscious of the way they sit, breathe, or the tone of their voice. It’s unconscious communication, and the more of it you can match the stronger your rapport will become.
Why is establishing rapport so effective for selling? People develop their personalities based on how they were raised and where they grew up. So it’s not surprising to find that your customer with the loud voice and erratic arm movements grew up in a household where his parents and siblings were also loud and rowdy. If we were to join him for Thanksgiving dinner one year, we’d likely find an entire family of loud and highly animated people. To them it’s a perfectly normal atmosphere; they would be uncomfortable in any other setting. By imitating their words, tone, and mannerisms, you’re saying: “I’m on your side. I’m like family.” And, as a result, they’re likely to trust you.
In case you were wondering, James the boisterous sales rep increased his sales by almost 40% within 90 days by just toning down and watching his customers. Remember to pay attention to people, and look for ideas on how you can make them more comfortable with you. Your efforts will pay off with bigger, better sales and happier, more satisfied customers. —Joey DeMicco, a Chicago native, is the general manager of Renewal by Andersen of West Michigan. He has been training and educating in-home sales reps since 1990. Any questions or comments can be directed to jdemicco@renewal-gr.com.