One of the trends in B2B sales, looking towards 2025, is that the time the buyer spends connecting with a sales executive during the purchase decision process has been reduced to 17%.
This low percentage could be restricted even further, reaching 5%, considering that this period of time must be shared with other competing sellers.
In this new scenario, one of the common mistakes that we could make is to believe that the structure of a face-to-face meeting can be transferred to a virtual one and that we will be successful with that buyer using techniques, forms, words that served us in that world in which we We saw without a camera in between.
The scenario changed months ago and on this new game board the rules and codes for success are different.
By experimenting I have learned that there are three verbs that, when conjugated, can determine the success of that meeting:
- PREPARATION.There are no second chances for first impressions. The way the background comes together: how we see ourselves through the camera is as relevant as the content that is on our conversation agenda, everything communicates and generates impact. Preparation not only applied to us as sales executives, including here researching the buyer and understanding their potential challenges, but also the imperative need to add prior value to the buyer through relevant content to “warm up” that encounter beforehand. .
- EVOKE. To evoke is to remember something or someone and bring something to the imagination by association of ideas. What a tremendous opportunity we have to use words to evoke concepts, ideas, results that have a positive meaning for the buyer.The words in themselves have no effect, it is what they represent in the world of the speaker and the listener that we must consider.
- PROVOKE.A high-performance salesperson invites the buyer to leave their comfort zone to make a change to a new place, invites them to visualize themselves in a better state, provoking in them the desire, interest and decision to move. A high-performing salesperson uses verbal and non-verbal language very well to challenge the buyer to the next step.
Cynthia Rudin, a professor at MIT, pioneered the use of data, hypothesis testing, and predictive models in her research, concluding that there are five words that demonstrated great persuasiveness in a business meeting and that seemed to have great impact. The words are: “yes,” “give,” “begin,” “meet,” and “examine.” According to Rudin, using them at specific moments in the conversation with the buyer increases the chances of success.For example, the word “start” when opening the conversation would capture the buyer’s attention, indicating that it is time to start actively listening. Similarly, the word “give” would focus attention on the seller, triggering a subconscious excitement about receiving something valuable. On the other hand, using the word “examine” would invite the buyer to feel included and welcome to contribute their point of view. Finally the word “yes” could mobilize a good outcome. Agreeing with what is said about the above topic would capture the buyer’s attention. For example, using this word could allow you to move on to the next topic: “Yes, that’s a great point. It reminds me of the problem we’re having with…”
Preparing, evoking and provoking to impact the small amount of time we have with the buyer is the great challenge on the new sales game board. While it is true that these three verbs are tremendously relevant, they are not the only ones to be conjugated and we could write one or several books detailing the pieces of the game. For now, invite them and invite me to look at how well we are using the scarce time available with that buyer.
Let’s use words with precision and assertiveness to create, evoke and provoke the world that we want to co-construct in that digital conversation with the long-awaited buyer.
Connect with Karen and improve your conversations with clients. Write to +56956796727