I could feel that the sales meeting was going nowhere
My prospect just didn’t seem interested in what I was taking about. He wasn’t even bothering to object to what I was saying. His eyes just seemed a bit glazed.
This wasn’t the first time I had suffered from this. However, what made this time unusual was the fact that it was my prospect who had requested the meeting. He had seemed eager to meet and discuss doing business with me.
I decided to take another tack. Instead of talking about what I was offering, I tried drawing a diagram.
The change was incredible
Suddenly my prospect sat up. He took a real interest in my diagram. He started asking questions enthusiastically. Before I knew it, I had booked the business with him.
So what had caused this change? The answer was simple.
Sometimes you need to communicate with a prospect in a different way
People prefer to communicate in different ways. If you’re not communicating with them in their preferred way, you may not get through to them. No matter how good your pitch or presentation, the prospect just may not be able to take it in.
It gets even worse when you are talking to a group of people who may all have different learning styles.
That’s when VAK comes in handy
VAK outlines the three key ways in which people take in information. Let’s look at them one by one:
- Visual (seeing) – some people understand best if they can look at something. They like pictures and diagrams. They’ll get lost if try and rely on voice alone.
- Auditory (hearing) – some people are better off hearing things. They’ll listen to you voice. They will also react well to music. However, they won’t be so keen on the diagram you drew so carefully!
- Kinesthetic (touch) – some people like to be able to hold something. You’ll probably see them fiddling with their pen! They love having samples or models.
So how do you know if someone if visual, auditory or kinesthetic?
The quick answer is that, unless you know them well already, you won’t. That’s why whenever I have a big sales meeting or presentation, I’m prepared to deal with all three. I come armed with my diagram and charts, my samples and with something to say. I mix all three up, especially if I am meeting a group of people.
If only I’d been prepared like this at the sales meeting I referenced above, I would have captured my prospects attention much sooner!
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a larger series on how to improve your sales conversations and presentations:
- Have More Effective Sales Conversations with 3-Word Planning
- Why Conversation Is Pointless Without A Call To Action
- VAK: How To Help Prospects Pay Attention To You
- Wow Your Audience With PowerPoint (Don’t Send Them To Sleep)
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Matthew Parker has been buying print for over 20 years. He’s had over 1,400 sales pitches from printers. Now he’s using that experience to help printing companies engage with their customers and sell print more profitably. Find out more about Matthew on his site. Download his e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them” for free here.
