Say “I have the perfect product for you.” Say the sentence three times. Just don’t say it the same way three times. Try relaying the words with great enthusiasm the first time. For the second version, say the words in a bored, droning voice. The third time can be for fun. Say the words in a mock impersonation of your favorite movie star. Record all three versions. Play them back. Think about which version appeals to you the most. The battle is between the first and the third. The second one — the dull one — probably doesn’t sound good at all. Would you be willing to purchase from someone who sounded dull? Likely, you wouldn’t.
No matter how good a product or service is, sales pros must convince certain customers to make a buy. The sales rep’s tone of voice plays a big part in moving a sale. The right tone motivates people. A terrible tone can undermine what should be a surefire sale. Anyone serious about being a successful sales pro needs to improve his/her tonality.
Tone Tells the Tale
No matter what you say, people react to the way you say it. Your tone adds to or detracts from the credibility of your words. If you state a product is the best in the world and do so with a low, uneven voice, few will believe the words. The tone undermines the conviction. Similarly, an excited and upbeat tone could prove contagious. Enthusiasm in the sales rep’s voice may generate excitement in the buyer.
Salespersons do often work hard at coming up with the right pitch. They may study all the features associated with a particular product. Working on their tone, however, isn’t a priority. Sales figures then suffer. Some may realize their tone isn’t up to par. Don’t worry too much about a weak or incongruent tone. With the right effort, anyone can make some improvements.
Talk to Yourself
Talking to yourself isn’t always a bad thing. When you wish to improve your tone and delivery, you won’t see results unless you verbally make out the words. Thinking about how to improve your tone is helpful, but you can’t perform the desired delivery without practicing. Break out a voice recorder. You likely have one on your mobile phone. Record yourself trying to deliver an impressive, persuasive sales pitch. Listen to the recordings afterward with a critical ear. Note necessary improvements and work on making them. Improvements won’t come overnight, but they will come with consistent effort and practice.
Practicing in front of a mirror further enhances results. Tone and pitch must match body language and facial expressions. Believability becomes nil when your appearance and actions aren’t matching how you speak.
Make Strategic Improvements
Which words out of all the ones you annunciate in your sales pitch are the most important? Work hard at coming up with the right answer. You want to stress that word the strongest when dealing with your would-be buyer. Making necessary inflections on the right words has an impact. At the very least, the words prove noticeable. Words and phrases like “Newest fashion,” “Hottest car,” “Reliable performance,” “Best Reviewed small business bookkeeping service” and “Greatest deal available” perk customer’s ears. Or rather, they will if the customer doesn’t miss them. Proper inflection reduces the chances of any misses.
A Vital Trait
Have some life to you when delivering a sales pitch. Without energy, a sales pitch falls flat. Energy shows you care. An energetic voice also comes with a sense of urgency. The customers might feel like they must “Buy now!” The energetic sound doesn’t try to rush anyone into buying. Attempts to rush or pressure buyers usually fall flat. Energy is another way of conveying enthusiasm, and enthusiasm is vital.
