7 Must-Have Communication Skills for Success in Sales

If even a small part of your job involves sales, then you probably already know how vital good communication is to your success. I can't explain it any more simply than this: selling is about persuasion, and you can't be persuasive unless you're a good communicator.



So if you need a sure-fire way to become better at selling, it's very clear that you need to start by improving your communication. So, to help you get started, here are our top 7 communication skills that you need to focus on to ensure sales success.

Before we start, you may be interested to know that we provide a free, 3-minute communication skills test that will show you what kind of a communicator you are, and give you a customized plan of action on how to get better.

1) Master Your Body Language

When you think about communication, you probably instinctively think about the words you say and hear.  But there's another major element of communication, which might not be on your radar at all – and that's body language.

Research shows that more than half of all face-to-face communication is non-verbal. And when you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Every hand gesture, every furrowed brow, every smile, and every change of vocal intonation sends a signal to the person you're speaking to. It's all communication.

And body language is sent and received all the time. Even when nobody is speaking. It's in your stance, the way you position your hands, and even your breathing!

But does it affect your sales success?
Of course! Imagine two salespeople giving the same pitch. One smiles, uses engaging hand gestures, and stands with an open stance. The other stands hunched, frowning, with little or no eye contact.
It's obvious who'll sell the most!

OK, this is an extreme example – our hunched misery-guts clearly isn't even trying (or shouldn't be in sales). But body language can trip up any salesperson… if you aren't aware of it. Sending even subtle negative signals through body language can make you come across as disengaged; maybe even dishonest!

Make sure you aren't oblivious to your own body language flaws. Assess your body language, either standing in front of a mirror or asking a friend to help you.

Then work on your stance, hand gestures, and other areas that need improvement. Over time, you'll take control of your body language and build better customer relationships.

2) Learn to Empathize With Customers

Empathy has been something of a buzzword when it comes to sales skills. It means showing you understand your customer's problem, and that you care about helping them solve it.

Inexperienced salespeople often try to empathize by simply agreeing with the customer. They might listen to their problem, say something like "I know what you mean", and then present their product as the best solution.

There are a few problems with this approach. Firstly, customers aren't stupid. They know when someone else understands their situation - especially when there's no meaningful interaction.
Second, this approach will often lead a salesperson to pitch the wrong product for the customer's needs. It's obvious why – if you can't understand and connect with a problem, how can you solve it?

A better approach is to stop pretending, and start empathizing for real. Don't just parrot the same lines to every customer. Hear their problem, think about which product is the best match, and present the selling points that are most relevant.

With practice, your sales pitches will become more dynamic and more successful.

3) Never Stop Improving Your Knowledge

Of course, you can't connect with a customer unless you have the knowledge to understand their needs and match them with the best solution. This takes real expertise in your product line, and the wider marketplace, too.



The same can be said for any sales pitch you make. You must know your products inside out – not only what they do, but how they benefit customers as well.

When you know your products well, you can:

• Answer any customer question with confidence. This increases trust and the likelihood of a sale.
• Pick the most persuasive selling points for each customer on the fly, based on what they tell you about their needs.
• Impress the customer with your overall expertise, again increasing trust.

And if you don't know your products? All you can really do is waffle, wing it, or maybe even lie. Which isn't the way to succeed!

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4) Get Down To Specifics

Knowing your products and your field is great, but it's only part of the equation. You have to actually communicate your knowledge effectively, too. And that means being specific about what you can offer.

It's no good making generalizations. "The PX1000 can lower your costs and increase your productivity" is an OK B2B headline. But if you're actually talking to your customer and want them to spend money with you, cold hard facts about what they'll get for their money are the order of the day.
For example, if a customer says "You say this will increase productivity, but how will it do this?" will you know how to respond?

The best salespeople know this. They learn through experience which specific features and benefits appeal most to different customers, and they're always ready to talk about them in detail.

Good sales people also know the power of numbers and statistics. A proven statistic is much more compelling to customers than something that's vague and might well be the salesperson's own opinion.
Also remember that a precise number (like 42.5%) is much more credible than a general indication (like "nearly half").

The most compelling specifics often relate to cost savings, convenience, and return on investment. Communicate specific benefits in these areas, and you're off to a great start!

5) Be Honest About What You Don't Know

It's great to be a subject-matter expert, but you can't know everything – and your customers will surely know this. They don't mind if you occasionally say "I'm sorry but I don't have that information, let me find out for you".

On the other hand, customers can usually tell when you're trying to cover up a lack of knowledge with waffle. So why bother? Make openness and honesty a key part of your approach, and you'll sell much more successfully.

6) Be Inquisitive

There's a mindset that lazy salespeople get into. It's robotic and monotonous. They start to see customers as numbers, or items to check off a list. They repeat the same spiel in every pitch. In other words, they stop engaging with their customers – either because they've become bored, or they're hopeless to begin with.



How do you think that plays out? Well for one, the customer probably doesn't feel much of a connection. But just as damaging is that the salesperson isn't asking the customer any questions.

When you ask questions, you learn more about a new customer's needs. But that's just the start! By continuing to ask questions, you also learn about…

• How customers' needs change over time
• How the way customers use your products also changes over time
• How the marketplace is changing

All this inquisitiveness helps you sell more effectively. And as an added plus-point, customers love the genuine interest you take in their business.

7) Be Prepared!

What does it take to put all of the above communication skills together in one great sales pitch?
Preparation.

History's greatest communicators, from Pericles of Ancient Greece to Winston Churchill, all spent time practicing and perfecting their skills. If preparation was good enough for the great orators, it's good enough for you.

Being prepared means knowing your products, knowing as much about your customer or audience as possible, and knowing your script if you're using one. Being prepared also means you don't need to worry about how your pitch will go – because you've practiced in advance.

Listening Is As Important As Speaking

As you might have noticed as you were reading, roughly half of the advice in this article is actually about listening. You can't empathize with a customer without listening to their needs. You can't increase your knowledge without listening. You can't adapt your pitch for specific customers without listening. And it's not worth asking questions if you don't listen to the answers!

Why is half of the advice about listening? Because communication is a two-way street.

When you're selling, customers want to know you're taking a genuine interest in helping them. They want a conversation, not a speech.

So when you wrap up all the advice we've given here with the understanding that listening is the underlying communication skill you need to be effective, you'll be well on your way to becoming a much more successful salesperson.