It would be wrong to say that effective communication is an effective part of sales success. More precisely, sales success depends on the right communication at the right time. As a marketer, you must agree, right?
From explaining products to negotiation and persuasion, you need effective communication every step of the way to win over your prospects. Do you think your prospects will stay engaged for a long time if you don’t prove yourself to be a savvy communicator? Do you think you can be successful as a salesperson without putting too much emphasis on developing your communication skills? In fact, you may be able to fill in the gaps in your communication skills time and time again.
It makes sense to stay committed to constantly improving your communication skills. When it comes to being an effective communicator, you certainly don’t need to have a “know it all” attitude. After all, improving your communication skills only spreads your wings to fly higher, right?
The question is, what does it take to be a good communicator? What are the must-have components of effective communication that can make you a more successful salesperson? That is what this blog will answer. This blog highlights the 7 Cs of communication that can prove to be a competitive advantage for your communication skills. So without further ado, let’s get started.
7 C’s of Communication
Clarity
As a marketer who wants to convince customers to make buying decisions quickly, clarity in your communications must be a top priority. You want to offer customers maximum clarity to give them a positive experience. Gone are the days when you could manipulate customers by withholding information.
If you look at current consumer trends, they want brands to be honest and offer maximum transparency. According to Emarsys, more than 90 percent of customers expect brands to be more transparent and honest. For them, brand transparency will be key to their purchasing decisions.
However, you can attract more and more customers these days by being transparent with them and maintaining absolute clarity in your communications. However, in the context of 7C communication, the notion of clarity is not limited to transparency. To clarify: The importance of clarity must also be seen in setting the communication agenda clearly. In addition, another aspect of clarity is that the other person must be able to understand the context of the communication without misinterpreting it.
In general, the following holds true in sales: the clearer the communication, the greater the chances of success. Every ounce of clarity you offer your customers will greatly enhance their customer experience in a positive way. As a sales manager, you must train your sales team to maintain clear communication. This has to be one of the best ways to help your sales team close more deals.
Abundance
Also, the information you share with your team or clients must be complete in all respects. Your customers won’t appreciate it if you keep pushing them for repeat follow-ups. However, as a marketer, it’s important to offer complete information with a minimum number of calls or emails. If not, it’s no wonder your customers give up too quickly.
At the same time, it’s also important not to spend too much time on the phone or writing emails. And if you do, you will annoy your customers. However, you need to find a way to communicate full information without making it too long. Your message must be very clear and complete in all aspects for perfect communication.
The conclusion is that every communicator, regardless of profession, must try to attribute completeness in communication. If you incorporate this into your communication style, you are sure to convert more prospects. Therefore, thoroughness should be one of the SMART goals associated with your quest to improve your communication skills.
Accuracy
Your relationship as a retailer with prospects and customers is based solely on trust. Ultimately, the prospect’s trust in you drives the buying decision. However, your communication with them must not only be through but also must have a high degree of fairness.
To make it clear, let’s understand this with a simple example. Suppose you are a salesman at a luxury cars brand outlet such as Audi, BMW or Tesla. It goes without saying that you receive tons of inquiries every day, fueling interest in the features, specifications, and availability of a particular model. Everything you tell them as a trader must be true and leave no room for error.
If later there is a discrepancy between what you communicate with your prospects and the actual scenario, it can lead to distrust. In addition, some customers may report to your sales manager that you have provided them with incorrect information.
However, politeness is an aspect of communication that you should never neglect. Yes, as a seller sometimes you have to be diplomatic with your customers. However, diplomacy should not be synonymous with reporting false details or information.
Conciseness
We can all agree that we are always in a virtual race against time. The thing is, no one really has time to engage in long conversations or read long emails. Neither you nor your customers have such time privileges. Therefore, it is very important for you to be able to communicate details that are complete, correct, and concisely persuasive.
Honestly, there is an art to being an effective yet concise communicator. There is no doubt that you will always get high prices for these works of art in sales. Once you master this art, you are sure to be at the top of your communication game. Give important information to your prospects in a concise way and watch conversions increase. It goes without saying that your conversion rate is one of the most important sales performance KPIs to look at.
Specialty
Do you appreciate a communication style that contains a lot of ambiguity? Would you describe someone as an effective communicator whose communication style lacks concrete details and tends to make things more complicated than they really are? To you, such a person is certainly not an effective communicator for you.
The fact is that effective communicators believe deeply in the specifics of their communication. When they present specific details and verified information in their conversations, there is little or no room for misinterpretation. This is how people become great communicators.
Look at all the great communicators the world knows, they say nothing they don’t believe. When you achieve excellence in your communications, you will find that you advance more quickly in your sales career.
Courtesy
If you act as a polite communicator, your perception will appear positive. Everyone will be happy to associate with people who display humility and politeness in their communication style. Even in sales, politeness in your communications is an important factor in the first impression you make on your potential customers. Of course, a positive first experience can be the start of a great customer journey that will benefit your professional success.
So if you’re looking to hone your communication skills for a more successful sales career, keep politeness on a high level. The more polite and friendly you are in interacting with customers, the higher your conversion chances.
If you’re a sales executive, courtesy may even help you drive high employee engagement in your sales team. By being more polite and compassionate, you can help your team members better manage their personal issues and get the best out of them. Makes a lot of sense doesn’t it? Politeness will always be one of the best leadership qualities.
Consideration
Do you consider other people’s opinions, perspectives, and emotions when interacting with them? Do you prioritize your prospect’s thoughts and feelings in your conversations? If not, you must if you want to maintain a long-term relationship with your customers so they keep coming back to you.
However, the final component of 7C communication is deliberation. It states that you must be careful when communicating with other people, especially your customers. They must ensure that communication is two-way and also respect their space to express themselves without reluctance. You need to give them a strong sense of community so they too can join the conversation and voice their concerns.
In fact, in the world of marketing and sales it is often said that the customer is king. In fact, this is true and you should take a good look at it in sales. You need to listen more and talk less because you want to give your customers a sense of empowerment. So you need to make conversations with your customers very interesting and encourage them to speak their hearts out. Empathy will certainly help you to be more successful as a salesperson.
In short: Sales success cannot be separated from excellence and communication skills. If you consistently improve your communication skills, you will see a real increase in your sales success. All you have to do is master 7C communication. Most likely, this is your end game in terms of communication effectiveness.
