Mistake Thinking
“Every customer receives and processes information the same way”
You aren’t an island. Many people in business struggle overcoming the same five barriers to reach the success they desire.
The Top 5 Barriers to Success are….
1. Fear of Failure
2. Working in Isolation
3. Not Accurately Interpreting the Problems of your Market
4. Unclear of the How & Why of Decision Making
5. Lack of Direction
Number 4 Barrier to Success – Unclear of the How & Why of Decision Making
Being able to connect with people and communicate in a method that they will hear because it resonates with their perceptual filters is extraordinarily beneficial. It assists you in understanding people and why they make the decisions they do.
If you don’t fully recognise where a customer is coming from, how they communicate with the world and what their key reasons for making a decision is, it will be difficult for you to not only connect with them but shift into a position as a trusted advisor.
As an entrepreneur or business leader, or anyone whose success depends on understanding human nature, understanding at least the basics to deciphering perceptions will give you unmatched tools and insights.
This knowledge is a base point to benchmark a person’s response, positive or negative, depending on their value system. In regards to sales, it means you can respond in a way that not only builds rapport but also moves the interaction in the direction you want to take it.
There is a mammoth body of work around human development and when you look into it, it can seem like it’s a bit like a black hole. What we’re looking at here is the simplest rapport building techniques to help you understand one of your prospects and what it takes to build a connection and motivate them to buy.
Imagine how much it would benefit you to be able to identify the position a person is coming from immediately, and how you relate to them in your first face-to-face or phone encounter. This ability will determine whether you build rapport with them or not.
The definition of rapport is ‘Reducing the difference between oneself and another at unconscious levels to promote a harmonious relation ship.’
Rapport is the basis and foundation for every meaningful interaction between two or more people. Rapport is about establishing an environment of trust and understanding; to respect and honour the other person’s world. This allows the person the freedom to fully express their ideas and feelings and know they’ll be respected and appreciated by you.
By employing the right techniques to authentically build rapport, such as pacing, matching or mirroring; with practice you will learn to recognise how best to connect with your clients and to view the world from their perspective.
Skills such as this will enable you to see things from your customer’s position, and empower you to build rapport quickly so they like you because you are like them.
Any group of people you feel comfortable with, whether your family, friends or colleagues, you naturally trust and respect.
Pacing, matching and mirroring are the easiest NLP techniques to master. They are effective tools that will give you a new level of confidence when it comes to building relationships quickly and effortlessly. Expertise in these techniques is like all other learnings and improves with practice. The greater the level of expertise you develop, the more success you will have in building rapport with all kinds of people. It is important to remember that any of these practices should always be performed with authenticity and respect.
Anything you can identify you can pace, match or mirror.
- The speed someone is moves
- The angle of the body, their posture
- The size of their gestures
- The rate of their breath
- The rhythm of speech
- Tonality,timber,pitch of voice
- Tempo and intensity of speech
- The words used
Being able to match and pace a person’s speech is an incredibly valuahttps://www.speechperfect.com.au/shop/ble tool particularly when connecting over the phone.’
What predicates do they use? Do they use visual word such as – “Let me look at what you’re showing me”. Do they use auditory words – “I hear what you are saying” or kinaesthetic words – “That feels OK”, or auditory digital words – “I understand.” When you can determine the method your costumer wants to receive data by understanding the words – or predicates they use, you will be well placed to provide information so it is accepted.
Now, you may be feel a little uncomfortable using these techniques and be thinking you are somehow ‘misleading’ your prospect. This is a natural and common response, particularly if you haven’t worked with NLP practices or have hear it is about manipulating the way a person thinks and responds. To a degree it is, but ‘and here is the big but’ the reason you find pacing, matching and mirroring invaluable is that they help you in recognise the way you respond to events around you, the way you use your body language, the words you use, and the way you speak.
With this knowledge, you will be able to step out of your comfort zone and meet your client in their place in the world. Ready to service their needs to the best of your ability.
Read more about Authentic Selling Techniques in “Good Girls do Sell”
