The Will Rogers Approach: A Powerful Technique for Really Connecting with Your Audience/Buyers!

Article Date: June 12, 2006

Being the smooth talkers that we are as salespeople, we automatically assume that everything we say is perfectly clear to the listener. After all, we are speaking English to English-speaking people, so when we say black or white or high or low, it obviously means the same to them as it does to us. Right?

Unfortunately, like most other things in life, it's not that simple. In fact, our chances of a listener understanding precisely what we are trying to say in the course of a sales presentation can be as low as 10%! Here's why:

Psychologists now know there are at least six major personality types--each broken into multiple subcategories. Each of these types actually processes information differently. Some are visual, some are auditory, some have a literal bias and some are more ethereal.

It's hard enough for us, as salespeople, to figure out the personality and processing system of just one listener in a one-on-one meeting. In a group setting, our chances of matching up with every listener are virtually impossible.

Communications Lesson:
It is critical in any presentation to be able to translate our message to a common language that everyone can easily understand and relate to. While we may think "square footage" or "cap rate" or "whole life" means something to everyone at the meeting, it often does not. The trouble is our listeners are usually too polite to admit it, and they will often let us proceed to bore them to death, killing the sale in the process.

Communications Tip:
One very powerful method of connecting through a common theme is by developing a familiar "metaphor" to link our message to the listener's pool of experience. Metaphors often start with the words, "It's kind of like...."
For example: "Mr. Smith, 'diversifying' (financial industry jargon) your portfolio is 'kind of like' riding an elevator with six cables (metaphor). If one of the cables snaps, the elevator won't crash. And neither will your portfolio, if one of your investments underperforms."

Communications Tip:
Besides making the intellectual connection, people also appreciate metaphors because they add a natural tone to the conversation and relax the atmosphere--making us seem more human, and less like... salespeople. It is also important to remember that clinical testing has proven that the more people understand us, the more they trust us.

I've used metaphors many times in the course of public speaking and selling, and it is great fun to watch the lights go on and heads start nodding when I toss a good one into the dialogue.

Develop a metaphor or two for your main messages. It's a great mental exercise, and it can make you a more appealing and successful communicator!

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