(Part three of a seven-part business coaching series on sales strategies that work for small business. ) If you missed it, you can catch part two here.

It’s critical that you choose appropriate words in all of your business relationships, especially sales . Much like with persoanl relationships — the wrong words can can torpedo the relationship before it even gets out of port. The right words will inspire and motivate people to gain trust in you and eventually do business with you. And that means more sales in your small business or professional practice

Case Study:

Joe, a sales person, is talking with Nick. But Joe’s having a difficult time trying to describe the service he offers.

His business coach observes that when Joe tries to determine if he’s getting his point across, he uses the phrase, “Does that click with you?” (This is a phrase that attracts those with a KINESTHETIC Language Pattern, like bells and whistles.)

Since Nick has a VISUAL Language Pattern (as described in part two of this series), his face scrunches up as he replies, “No, I’m not quite sure that I see where you’re going with this.” Nick doesn’t get what Joe is saying because he’s not realting to the words Joe is using.

If you’re talking to someone who has a high Visual Language Pattern, you’ll notice they use words that pertain to “seeing things.”

Once Joe implemented the phrase his business coach advised him to use, he noticed a dramatic change in Nick’s body posture and facial expressions. Under the guidance of his business coach, Joe clarified his question, changing it to, “Can you picture how this works, Nick?”

Here’s the other phrases that Joe’s business coach helped him develop when he’s speaking with a person who listens and learns using a Visual Language Pattern:

• Imagine using this product in your home!
• Do you see yourself using this service?
• Can you see what I’m saying?
• Watch how this image moves.

Once Joe began using words and questions that appeal to the way Nick’s brain works, his sale with Nick closed masterfully. Just by altering the words he used in his presentations, Joe’s sales for the month increased by 33%! Not bad, huh?

I’m sure the gig is up by now and you’ve realized that I am Joe’s business coach, so I can say with certainty that Joe’s sales increased because he began appealing to the Visual Learners who walked in to his shop, people who happened to make up a disproportionate percentage of his customers.

Business Coaching Corner:

Powerful communicators are people who create the best environment for others while stepping out of their own comfort zone. This is the first step to inspire others toward action.

To alleviate some of the challenges you may face as you step out of your own comfort zone, imagine that you are learning another language and visiting another country. Picture the differences in the culture you see around you, listen to the speech patterns, and take note of the mannerisms used by the people around you.

This is the same process you must take with someone who has a different communication style than yours.

In part four of this series of business coaching articles on small business sales, we’ll highlight the most important aspect of the sales process. We’ll show you three aspects of communication that the majority of people are completely unaware of, and how you can get the edge over your competitors by knowing how to apply them.

Deborah Micek is known as the “Business Communication Coach” by business owners around the world thanks to members of the Business Owners Coaching Club™.

Official Life Coach for the Dream Makeover Hawaii TV show aired on NBC, internationally published author and weekly columnist for the business section of the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Deborah is a managing partner with the international small business coaching company RPM Success Group Inc.®

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