4 Ways To Improve Sales Through Improving Communication

A good conversation directly as well as indirectly can influence the success of the business largely. An individual as well as a team with a proper communication skill can attract the customers for the business along with keeping the existing. One of the experts of the field has pointed out that nearly 85% of the success in career is depends on how a person is able to communicate with others. The selling is an art that is largely dependent on the persuasive exchange of the information.

Even studies of Harvard university has shown to be a good leader having a good communication skill is a completely must. Thus one can readily understand that communicationtraining is how much necessary for the sales process. Even modern day sales training also includes different communication programs to increase the sales. Here we are going to discuss some of the prominent communication skills that are must for the sales persons.

Listening: It is important that when a client is meeting with the sales person, an effective communication. It is also important that the communication process will happen in a both way direction. It is important for a sales executive to be an effective listener as only talking can risk yourself out of a sale. If a person will pay attention two listening the prospective customer will have a feeling of being understood. If a person is feeling that, the prospective customer is feeling reluctant then he must ask questions for feedback. Thus, effective communication can help to crack the deal.

Focus on the Solution: it is much important for all the sales person that to remain customer centric all the time. It is very important that the discussion must be an all around the solution. What the customer is not feeling well or what is that should be improved is necessary need. Therefore, to show the product that the sales person is willing to sale can help the customers in order to solve the problems that they are having. It is very important that the sales person must behave more like a problem solver rather than just a mere sales person.  

Reading Body language: A sales person can get an upper hand through understanding the body language of the customer. Even the size of the pupils during the presentation can become helpful to understand the interest of the customers on a particular product. There are lots of symbols that can identify the interest of the customers in the in the product.

Take Proper Departure: It is important or the person who are closely associated with the sales to remain warm and sincere while closing the deal. It does not matter that the deal goes in their favour or not but it is important for a person to greet the customer and to leave the place with proper manner. It is generally considered that people always remember the first meeting and the last words so to be a good sales person it is always important that the person must remain perfect in the both.

Therefore, here are some of the techniques that can be quite valuable while for the budding sales persons. In addition, there are now many institutions those teach the techniques and art of selling. So the people interested in this field can go for them.

Do You Have These Positive Traits Of Professionalism?

Many bright students find the gulf between the academic world and the professional sphere to be rather large. When I finished my MBA in marketing with a gold medal, I was confident of bringing my brilliance in a seamless manner to the company where I had been placed. Things did not turn out to be that easy though, and I had to go through a rigorous corporate training course – to become really ready to face the challenges of the professional world. Some of the basic tenets of professionalism that I learnt were:

1. Making myself reliable – Employers hire candidates, and invest time and money to provide technical and soft skill training to them – so that the latter can handle the tasks designated to them in an efficient, proper manner. I had put extra effort to grasp everything that was being taught about my work-responsibilities in the training classes. Winning the trust of my employers was important!
2. Avoid bragging – Academic knowledge was something I had in plenty, but that was far from being enough to guide me at my workplace. Even if you are confident about your knowledge-base, do not try to show off by making tall promises – which you won’t be able to keep over time. I have been working for six years now – and the policy of ‘under-promising and over-delivering’ works best for me.
3. The importance of being social – On an everyday basis, you will need to interact with members of other teams at your company, as well as your seniors and other peers. Without extensive business communication training, you won’t be able to do this effectively – and that, in turn, would thwart both personal as well as organizational goals. Even if you are of a shy demeanor (which I was not!), you will need to open up, to be easily approachable and popular at your office.
4. Level-headedness – The workplace is not a classroom – and things will not always go as planned. In case any unforeseen problem does crop up, you need to maintain your equanimity and look for viable solutions. Employees in managerial positions, in particular, require thorough leadership training – to be able to take the right business decisions, even in the face of crises. I still am not the most level-headed guy in my organization, but I am getting better!
5. Appearance and posture – When it comes to the professional world, first impressions are invariably the most important. I was not particularly finicky about the way I dressed up, or whether my hair was too long while at college – but my corporate trainer suggested that this attitude had to be changed. I took her advice, and, within a week of joining office – my colleagues started complimenting me on my neat, well-kempt appearance!
6. The importance of smiling – Coming across as frivolous is a strict ‘no-no’, but it is important to have a smile on your face – even during stressful, lengthy board meetings and client interactions. Many potentially damaging conflicts can be averted, only if you maintain a pleasant disposition at all times. Not surprisingly, the importance of having a sense of humor is emphasized upon at most well-known corporate training institutes.
7. Openness to learn – I am employed in an IT firm, and have, over the last five years, picked up on as many as seven programming languages. You should also be on the lookout for opportunities to learn new skills and acquire fresh competencies. As your domain of professional knowledge would grow, you will be delegated the charge of important projects. Promotions and increments would also be forthcoming…sooner!
8. Taking up responsibility – It is only natural for freshers to make mistakes, but I still used to be really apprehensive about committing a work-related error that might prove to be damaging for the project I was supposed to handle. That was until I learnt at my corporate training class, that there is nothing wrong in making the occasional mistake – I only needed to have the courage to own up to my follies, and had to make sure that I did not repeat the same errors. Accountability is indeed a much sought-after trait in corporate personnel.

Apart from direct interactions (verbal and non-verbal), my communication training expert also taught me the correct ways of email and telephonic correspondence. Over time, I have also learnt the tricks for organizing all my tasks in a streamlined manner. If you wish to have a rewarding career in the corporate sector, you simply cannot gloss over the importance of possessing these professional traits!

Why Is Corporate Training Required?

To excel in a professional environment, academic qualifications are necessary but no longer sufficient. Comprehensive corporatetraining has emerged as one of the key requirements, for grooming employees – so that they can function at their efficient best. In the following discourse, we will highlight some of the main reasons why such training sessions are of essence:

1. Improvement in conversational skills – Corporate lifestyle is all about teamwork and fruitful communication with external stakeholders. Self-improvement experts suggest that extensive communication training is needed, to make sure each employee interacts with others in a manner that would benefit the organization in the long-run. Norms of formality can also be instilled in an individual, via such training.
2. Development of soft skills – Right from patience and good listening skills, to having an empathy-rich, pleasant demeanor – a person has to be proficient in a wide range of soft skills, to prosper in his/her professional career. Most corporate training courses include dedicated soft skill training sessions, to sharpen these capabilities in employees.
3. Resolution of workplace conflicts – Differences of opinions frequently arise among people at offices, and, if not resolved quickly enough – they can adversely affect the overall productivity of an organization. Those in senior, responsible positions should go for proper personnel management training sessions, to be able to iron out such interpersonal conflicts in an amicable manner. Trainers also develop a corporate etiquette in professional workers.
4. Keeping the employees motivated and focused – The quality of workplace environment has an important role to play in determining the performance of workers over time. To bolster individual motivational levels, corporate experts often arrange for inspirational speeches by famous business personalities, along with personality development and self-management training sessions.
5. Smarter leadership and decision-making – For achieving the desired rate of organizational growth, business managers and entrepreneurs have to remove the risks associated with the corporate decision-making processes (as much as possible). The analytical abilities of corporate leaders can be effectively enhanced with the help of systematic leadership training courses. For getting the best out of the employees too, these training courses are vital.
6. Better communication with foreign partners – Most large-scale corporate houses have liaisons with clients and business partners from overseas shores. Gone are the days when the activities of organizations used to be limited within domestic boundaries – and that, in turn, have raised the importance of cross-cultural communication training. Along with boosting conversational skills, these modules of corporate training help people to learn the right etiquettes to send emails/talk via chat with people from other communities or nationalities.
7. Lowering of daily stress levels of the workers – Corporate employees are expected to work under stringent deadlines. Multitasking is yet another highly desirable capability in workers. All these can enhance the mental anxiety and stress levels in people – bringing down their productivity levels. To effectively remove such undue strains, corporate training sessions, with relaxation music being played in the background, are generally organized. Rejuvenated workers invariably regain their efficiency.

Training the corporate trainers – Employee and leadership training sessions are not only about sharpening the professional skills and expertise of the workers. The trainers themselves need to stay updated about the latest innovations and breakthrough ideas related to self-improvement and personality development. Hence, it is important that these behavioral instructors also attend training sessions, to improve the range of knowledge that they can share with the common employees.

Are You Still Making These Errors In Business Communication?

As a professional career consultant, I am contacted by corporate employees almost everyday, looking for effective solutions to various types of workplace problems that they might be facing. One of the most common requests I receive is a plea to provide some quick fix to polish up the communication etiquettes of workers – from almost all levels. While there are no magic recipes for becoming the smartest communicator and interaction expert in a corporate environment, ironing out the common mistakes is definitely likely to prove handy. Thorough business communication training in Kolkata is what’s required, to stay away from these errors:

1. Launching a personal tirade – There will be infuriatingly stressful situations at office – but you simply must not lose your head on such occasions. At my corporate training institute, I keep emphasizing to students the importance of staying calm and collected, even in the face of extreme provocation at workplace. Do not ever personally attack anyone, even if (s)he has made a serious mistake. A war of words can permanently destroy working relationships. Instead, take your time and find out ways to settle problems amicably.
2. Not following up after initial communications – This is probably how most apparently ‘sure-shot’ sales deals are missed. According to any experienced skill trainer, following up after an initial business interaction – right from a meeting, to a simple email conversation - is an absolute must. In case you find the other party to be not contacting you after a certain period of time, you need to be proactive enough to give that person a nudge.
3. Showing that you are vulnerable – Your boss can rebuke you, your seniors might be dissatisfied with your performance, or you may simply be feeling pressurized with the volume of work handed to you. As far as my knowledge in soft skill training goes, it would be grossly inadvisable to come across as too weak or vulnerable under such trying circumstances. In particular, crying in front of anyone at office (including your closest colleague) is an absolute ‘no-no’. Be confident, keep your chin up, and tackle difficulties efficiently.
4. Being too funny for your own good – In a corporate environment, being witty works great, but having a frivolous attitude does not. Communication training experts maintain that, while having a proper sense of humor is ideal in a young employee, (s)he should never be looking forward to crack jokes at every opportunity. During meetings with your boss or a prospective client, don’t make remarks that are out of place. Avoid sharing anecdotes that reek of racism and/or have a lot of slangs.
5. Asking for a raise without having a case for yourself – If you are putting in the hard yards for your organization, it is only natural that you would expect regular increments and other perks. If the same are not forthcoming, the onus is on you to get in touch with your senior(s), and ask for a raise that you feel you deserve. If you are proficient at vertical communication training nuances, you would know the importance of preparing a record of the facts and figures, which would clearly justify your demands. Simply bursting in your boss’ room shouting for a raise might end up with you being handed the pink slip!
6. Not seeking the opinion of others – Managing a company is not a one-man job, and consensual decision-making is something that is instrumental in steering any corporate organization in the right direction. That’s precisely why the leadership training in India modules at my institute include lessons for participative management. If you are employed in a senior position at your office, you need to consult other important colleagues/peers – before arriving at any important business decision. Do not simply impose your opinions on others.
7. Overlooking the importance of employee training – Over my career, I have come across many aspiring professionals who tend to treat initial orientation and employee training programs as a bit of a waste of time. It is vital to realize that these training sessions are the best time to get a grasp of the workflow processes in an organization that you would have to handle later. Being attentive would also help you get an in-depth understanding of the company mission and visions. No matter how qualified you are, do not make the mistake of neglecting the importance of regular training.
8. Being the office flirt – Being an efficient worker does not give you the license to flirt about with everyone at office. In fact, if your advances keep distracting your colleagues of the other sex – you might even get reported to the HR department/directly to the boss. A severe reprimand might follow, which would definitely hurt your personality development process. I keep cautioning my students against trying to portray themselves as veritable Office Casanova-s – it can be very dangerous!
9. Poor body language – Communication training is not only about verbal interactions, and you need to be constantly aware of this. During one-to-one interactions with peers/seniors, make sure that your body language is such that, you genuinely seem interested in what the other person is talking about. Maintain eye-contact, do not lean back on your seat, and avoid glancing at your watch repeatedly. Employees with smart and sincere body language are looked favorably upon by all business leaders.

Devise ways that would be best suited for you to keep daily stress levels down, so that self-motivation levels are maintained. Find out in detail about all the rules and regulations at your office, and make sure that you do not violate any of them. Over time, my institute has churned out a fair few successful corporates, and I believe that avoiding the above mistakes has done wonders for their careers!

11 Corporate Visionaries Who Inspire Me

When I had first joined a corporate training institute, the tutor had told that – to be a great business leader, a person had to first start thinking like one. Since then, reading biographies/autobiographies of various highly regarded corporate entrepreneurs and managers has been a constant habit of mine. While some of the books did make for pretty dour reading, I found most of these literary accounts to be instructive, informative, and definitely inspiring. On a professional front, some of my idols are:

1. Steve Jobs – Imagine being ousted from your own company, and then making a grand comeback – to save the same firm from troubled waters. Well, Steve Jobs did exactly that, and rightfully deserves a mention at the top of this list. The thing about Jobs that really stands out for me was his fantastic self-motivation levels, which helped him become the head of Apple – and the most recognizable name in the world of computing and telecommunications.
2. Martha Stewart – The head of Living Omnimedia, and an inspiration for every aspiring corporate leader like me. I had first seen her at a television show – and, being intrigued by her track record, had decided to read up more about her. It is nothing short of amazing how well Stewart had managed to provide employee training to each of her peers and colleagues. The lady has definitely managed to create a legacy of her own.
3. John Cadbury – There has to be something special about a person, whose surname has, over time, become synonymous with chocolate products, right? Thanks to Cadbury’s (the person, not the brand!) superior communication training in Kolkata, workplace conflicts at his office were pretty much unheard of. The manner in which Cadbury and his successors managed to expand the reach of the brand steadily over time is remarkable too.
4. Larry Page – At any contemporary leadership training institute, instructors typically advise candidates to read up on the biography of Larry Page – the person who is at the helm of Google, the premier online search engine worldwide. Together with Sergey Brin, Page gave practical shape to his vision of making the process of searching for any type of information online easy and quick. Now, ‘googling’ something is used in colloquial English as a verb!
5. Richard Sears – The tale of Richard Warren Sears is a classic rags-to-riches story. Born in a humble background, Sears made it a point to pursue expert soft skill training, to eventually rise to the top of one of the most famous multinational organizations in the United States. If you wish to get an idea of how to progress with your personality development – read up about Sears, and you will get a fair idea.
6. Walt Disney – Okay, I’ll admit this – it was not my professional skill trainer who got me interested in Disney’s works. Even during college, I was a huge fan of Disney shows (I still catch re-runs of the ‘Duck Tales’, whenever it is aired). He was much more than an average business head – and was, at one time, the top animation movie producer in entire Hollywood. From a cartoonist in local dailies, to one of the most known faces in showbiz – Disney’s journey had indeed been an outstanding one.
7. William Morris – The person who literally change the face of the international print industry, at the end of the nineteenth century. Morris was a master at providing specialized corporate training to each of his employees, so that the latter could function at their most efficient levels. At a time when autocratic leadership was much in vogue, Morris’ man-management style came as a fresh, welcome change.
8. Estee Lauder – Not often mentioned in the various ‘top-10’ lists that are published on the net – but for getting valuable pointers for providing sales training to my workers, Estee Lauder’s example is the one I find to be the best. From perfumes and hair products, to practically all other types of high-quality cosmetics, Lauder was never shy of trying to come up with new and improved products – and most of her attempts were successful ones.
9. Ralph Lauren – According to the prestigious Forbes magazine, Ralph Lauren features among the top 200 richest people in the world – but his professional excellence cannot simply be managed in monetary terms. From a young age itself, Lauren was well-versed in social communication training, and often used to sell apparels and accessories to his friends. Later on, he became one of the most revered fashion moguls in America – and even opened his own clothing line. Undying ambition and a clear career focus can indeed take a person to great heights!
10. Louis Mayer – If you are a Hollywood fan, you must be aware of the immense popularity of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Mayer) productions. MGM would not have been half as well-known, if it had not been for the efforts and visions of Louis Mayer. It was Mayer’s self-motivation that helped his company to successfully survive (in fact, thrive) the Great Depression phase – which engulfed many other established companies.
11. Sam Walton – It takes a lot of guts to leave one’s parents’ relatively profitable farmlands and venture out to establish one’s own line of chain stores – and Walton had more than the requisite amounts of courage and determination to do precisely this. Thanks to him, the whole world is now familiar with the Walmart and the Ben Franklin outlets. Recognized as one of the most influential businesspersons of the century – Sam Walton had a keen eye on quality-management and used to regularly organize employee training sessions.

Since I take an active interest in Linux programming, I find the works of Linus Torvalds to be mighty inspiring as well. As far as soft skill training related to the hospitality sector is concerned – J. W. Marriott (Jr.) is easily the person I look up to the most. Do make it a habit of reading the chronicles of professional leaders who have excelled in their respective fields. I certainly benefited from doing so!