The Secret To Super Salesmanship

The Secret To Super Salesmanship - Speaking Their Language

So you think that, since you speak English, and the other guy (buyer, seller, associate, family member etc.) speaks English, you are both speaking the same language? Not necessarily.

There is language, and then there is language.

Each of us speaks one of five types of any given language, and some of us speak more than one. Let me explain.

From the time we are born, our brain begins processing data. Everything we experience - every thing we see, hear, touch, small and taste makes a lasting impression. This is how we learn. Unfortunately, we do not all process information in the same way. Sometimes, we simply cannot. If a child has a vision impairment, less of his input comes from sight, and more from his other senses. The brain associates input with the method by which it is received. For a majority of people, sight is the predominant input device, followed closely by hearing, then the other senses provide the rest. If, however, the person has a vision impairment, the predominant sensory input device may be the ears, or maybe touch. So, what does all this mean to you, the person who just wants to sell his home, or the Realtor that wants a commission? A lot!

People who grew up using sight as the predominant input vehicle will be sight oriented - they learn to depend more on visual stimuli than any other. To these people, what they SEE is most important. On the other hand, those who grew up depending primarily on hearing to input data will place more emphasis on what they hear. And so on, through all five senses.

Now, if you want to capture someone's attention, and you want them to see things your way (persuasiveness), you must speak to them in the language they predominantly use - for example, sight-based language. If, while listening closely to a person you discover he uses a lot of "sight" words, such as "I see by this that...", or "I try to envision (or visualize)..." etc., you can suppose he is sight oriented, and if you want to speak his language, you must base yours on sight, as well. If, on the other hand, the person uses hearing-based language, he will say things like, "From the sound of it, I'd say...". Smell-oriented people might use phrases like, "Something smellsrotten - I don't think he's being honest..."

By listening carefully, you can usually determine the primary sensory input device, and use that to help sell a home (or get along with the spouse, boss etc.). Let's say your prospective buyer uses a lot of words like "see, vision, color, pretty, gorgeous" etc. He is probably sight oriented. Hence, he can best be swayed by those assets and benefits that are most pleasing to the eye - the view, color schemes etc. Those who are touch oriented  (you'll spot them, because they have to touch everything) will be more impressed by textures, rather than patterns. Smell oriented buyers can be best impressed by the smell of fresh-baked cookies in the oven, and other smells that seem to scream "homey".

By playing on the buyers' senses, you have a much better chance of closing the deal. By the way - it is always a good idea to have the seller bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies or brownies just before a showing, or whenever a buyer is due to show up. If a buyer can envision (yes, I am sight oriented) the homey comfort in living in that house, he is more apt to buy it.

I once taught this strategy to a very doubtful real estate agent that I had worked with a few times. She was, to say the least, very skeptical, but since her sales were not anywhere near the Top 10, she promised to give it a try. Within 8 months she had reached Top Salesperson for her agency, and a few months later she opened her own brokerage. She claims that, knowing how to speak the buyers language made all the difference, and that selling homes had almost become easy.

I use this strategy all the time - not just when buying or selling real estate, but in any interaction with others - business associates, personal relationships and so on. Not only does it afford me the opportunity of having someone fully understand what I am meaning, it also puts them more at ease, not having to try and decipher what I am saying. My only regret is that there is no way to do this in a book I cannot listen to, and watch the readers, to discern how they process information.

Other, more "traditional" tips for talking with buyers should not be neglected. One such tip would be to schedule showings according to the time of day that best highlights the home. If the afternoon sun plays beautifully with the color scheme in the living room, schedule your showing for that time. If the home is situated in an area that has a great view of the sunset, then that is when you want buyers to see the property. Don't be afraid to bring these nice features to the buyers attention, if need be, but be sure to phrase it in a way that highlights the benefits of those features (people do not buy features - they buy benefits). But don't be too enthusiastic - no one likes a pushy salesperson. Know when to hold back. Be brief, but effective.

This, and many more secrets to greater success in all aspects of life can be found in the FREE ebook, "Success - By Design" by author and mentor Bill Vaughn. This super little ebook has been downloaded over 4 million times.

Being a top salesperson becomes much easier - and a bit of a game - once you have mastered the art of persuasion by using language skillfully.