This past week in class we discussed the rules of improv in sales.
The 3 rules we covered are
- Hear the offers
- Say “yes and …”
- Make partner look good
Rule number 1 is very interesting. I like when we discussed the first one to speak loses. The silence is awkward for you and is equally as awkward as for the person you are talking to, so let them break the silence and give in. The key is to get responses to questions and learn new information about the customer and their needs.
Rule 2 is an easy one to do. Saying yes and … then trying to get more information. Using this as a lead in can help to get more information. Adding something new or asking a question will help in the sales process.
The last rule is very helpful to do. Making your partner look good makes them feel good and loosen up. The helps to build a great relationship and can help the sale. When you make your partner look good, they will notice how smooth things are going and they will trust you.
BoweryJE22
I was also curious about rule #1. For many people it feels better to break off that silence, but ultimately if you are the one to speak first, you will be losing alot of leverage. I view rule #3 as a very important but underappreciated rule. As salespeople we should never make the customer look/feel bad in any way, we should want to make them look good.
Saying “Yes, and” is one thing that we all need to remember. It is too easy to let a conversation become negative, and using this wording instead keeps things more positive.