Mastering communication is one of the most essential priorities for a professional salesperson. And yet, in many sales organizations, the focus of any communication training or development is limited to updates or seminars on the latest product features and functions.
The error in this thinking is to assume that the most important communication priority for salespeople is to tell the customer things about the company’s products or services in an effort to convince them to buy.
It is worth noting that in the Christian community, we have a name for this as well: proselytizing. Proselytizing is ineffective in transmitting (convincing of) faith, just as it is ineffective in selling goods, services, or even ideas.
That’s why Jesus simply didn’t proselytize. What he did do instead is evangelize: share the good news. The question, then, is how? How did Jesus share the good news, and what does this tell us about how we should communicate effectively in sales? Here are three points to consider:
1. Resonance is rooted in relationships.
Jesus recognized that the message which resonates is the message which is personal. Instead of sharing a generic, one-size-fits-all message with his followers, the Gospels tell us that no two conversations Jesus had during his ministry were the same. There was no ‘canned speech’, no convenient catchphrase, no “three easy steps” summation.
Rather, Jesus developed unique relationships with each person he encountered. He spoke with the disciples in the language of fishermen, and debated the Pharisees through the logic of the teachers of the law. From the blind man to the sinful woman, and from the Jews to the Romans, Jesus was engaged in building intense personal relationships which were the key to his ministry. People heard his message, because it was rooted in relationships.
2. Listen – and observe – before you speak.
In addition to building relationships, Jesus knew that listening comes before speaking – and that observing is essential to listening. Passages in the Gospels mentioning that Jesus listened or observed are numerous, from Jesus watching people closely at the temple to Jesus listening intently to the poor woman sharing her story. He made observation a hallmark of his ministry.
It enabled him to understand intently what was going on in his environment, and tap into complex issues quickly. It also allowed him to solve real-world problems that others might have missed, which is a common problem for salespeople (i.e., you think the customer needs a yellow car when what they would really benefit from is a van – in any color).
3. WIIFM is as important as WWJD.
In the Christian community, we commonly like to ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” (WWJD) in a given situation. This is a shorthand way of reminding ourselves that we are asked to behave in a Christ-like manner throughout the challenges and opportunities of each day. What is less commonly applied is to think from the other person’s perspective, in this case the buyer’s, so as to answer their unspoken question, “What’s in it for me?”
And yet, Christ himself recognized the inherent reality of the human condition, and did not hesitate to address people directly with answers befitting their unique circumstances.
What was in it for the leper? A miraculous healing of his leprosy, which allowed him to reenter society and regain his life.
What was in it for the sinful woman whom the Pharisees attempted to send away from Jesus? Forgiveness and freedom from the bonds of a self-destructive lifestyle.
What was in it for the disciples? The opportunity to become the natural, community-building leaders they were always capable of being, if only they would believe.
Even the rich man was given a clear answer to the question of what was in it for him: the ability not only to inherit eternal life in heaven, but to experience the freedom of moving beyond worldly possessions and serving the poor in this life as well.
Jesus knew that in their fallen state, humans need to have an answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?”, and he didn’t shy away from crafting meaningful and specific answers that met each person where they were -and- had the ability to show them how to get where they wanted to go.
These three points clearly distinguish between the one-way barking of the proselytizer and the comprehensive, two-way engagement of the evangelist. If you want to truly see breakthrough sales in your professional career, commit to mastering these three techniques and use them to build deeper relationships with your prospects and more meaningful (and predictable) sales cycles in your business.