Paint a Picture of Your Sale

The faint aroma of an expensive cigar hung in the air as the salesperson strode quickly into the office.  The antique mahogany desk sat imposingly almost 20 feet from the door.  The sleek custom-built credenza was a shrine for the executive's personal mementos.  The autographed, dirt stained baseball that Mark McGuire pelted out of the stadium lay motionless next to other balls that the salesman squinted to identify.  A quick scan of the walls revealed the humor of the scratch golfer's friends.  LeRoy Neiman personally inscribed "Fore!" on the sepia toned lithograph of the golfer twisting at his swing. The salesperson gathered his thoughts as the executive silently entered.  His footsteps were muffled in the deep pile of the sculpted, multi-colored Oriental rug.  Are you seeing something? Good. You should. 

Motion and memory  Can you picture this sales call as if you were making the call? When you speak with your customers you can also grab their attention so they understand your thoughts.  Communication that involves all the senses is more memorable to the listener. Your job is to help your customers see as well as hear your message.

When people move or see movement they remember more. In business this is when people shake hands, walk together or reach to exchange something.   If you are walking with your customer to the meeting, engage them with the vivid details that you want them to remember.  As you hand out your marketing materials say something compelling about your product or service that you want your customer to remember.  Think of ways to involve your customers in your demonstrations. 

Movement also contributes to an emotional involvement in what people remember.  The most memorable experience is when you and another person are both in motion.
 
Better understanding of what you say comes from using words that involve all of our senses.  Your customers will better remember what you say when you use action and vision oriented words.  Try to relate your products and services to all of your customer's senses. 

Here’s how you do this. Ask yourself, "What will they see when they use my products?  What will they feel"  Use active verbs when you speak.  The active voice is more direct and has more energy and momentum than the passive voice. For example, "This product lowers costs" is better to say than "Costs are lowered by this product."  Remember this in your written sales proposals as well. 

Thanks for the memories  You can also help your customers remember what you say. Think of the life experiences that you readily remember.  Do you find they involve family, work or a town where you lived?  These are three areas that our brains naturally retain.  Your messages can be more memorable if you link ideas about your products with family, work, or hometown.   

Here’s what I mean. When you describe your product, it can be part of a family of products.  As you present your product, choose a work situation that your customer is familiar with so he can relate to it.  Are there any well known landmarks in your customer's hometown that can be used as symbols of what you and your company represent? 

You sell to customers who listen.  Customers buy from salespeople they remember. What message are you creating so your customers remember and buy?