Today I would like to share my answer to the #1 speech question business people ask during their free voice analysis consultation
“What is the most important thing I can do right now to speak more persuasively and start getting more customers, clients and patients and making more money?”
As I am sure you understand, there is not a completely simple answer to this question, but I can give you three executive speaking skills that you MUST put in place, if you want to speak powerfully and persuasively with potential customers, and increase your bottom line.
1.Tell a Convincing Sales Story: I believe that we are all selling all the time and if we are willing to accept this premise and create a convincing sales story, all that remains is for you to tell it well.
It is important to immediately focus your client’s attention with an effective story line that sells your services or products. Start with a strong opening comment that demonstrates why they can’t do without your services. Next you need to tell them the story of how your services work effectively every time and finally how your services will benefit them.
You will always have your story and you will never have to worry about not knowing what to say or worse yet saying the same ideas over and over again. In fact as you continue to sell, your sales story will be more defined and more powerful.
2.Concentrate on your delivery: The delivery of your sales story is what seals the deal. Yes, your story is very important. However it is the delivery that separates the professionals from the amateurs. The professional speakers and sales people know that how you say something is often times more important than what you are saying.
Your clients and customers listen to the tone of your voice and decide in 7 seconds whether they like you and feel comfortable listening to you. The tone of your voice makes your message come alive for your client, customer or patient.
It is important for you to sound confident, credible, and engaging as you get into your sales story. However, it is important to pay attention to some very specific speaking roadblocks that can turn your listener away from your message.
3.Get Rid of Speaking Roadblocks: There are a number of speaking roadblocks however the top four are: talking too fast, mumbling, a hard to understand accent and speaking in a monotone.
As I have said many times in previous blogs, you should be speaking between 120-160 words per minute if you expect people to understand what you are saying. Average is 150 words per minute. You need to speak clearly by saying the ends of your words and not running them all together. Doing this also takes time and will slow your speaking rate.
A heavy accent complicates communication. I have clients who understand and speak English fluently however, only speak in meetings when they are prepared because they are embarrassed about being asked to constantly repeat themselves. A heavy accent combined with speaking fast makes communication even more difficult. Voice /accent reduction coaching can easily get rid of this roadblock.
Finally speaking in a monotone voice sounds so boring you’re your client/customer/patient has a very hard time paying attention. It is necessary to speak with expressiveness in order to engage your client. There are very few people who are tone deaf and therefore speak on only one pitch. Becoming more expressive can be fixed by changing the pitch and volume on various words in your message.
Using these 3 Executive Speaking Skills consistently is what you can do right now to speak more persuasively, start getting more clients, customers, and patients and build positive lasting relationships that produce more income.
To take a deeper look into your speaking voice, sign up for a free (no obligation) voice analysis appointment with Sandra McKnight at www.voicepowerstudios.com/analysis.html.
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