Have you ever wondered why two sales reps can use the exact same script but get vastly different results? It’s frustrating, right? Well, I’ve got the answer for you. It all comes down to sub-communication.
When I first started in sales, I struggled with this issue myself. I was using the same script as the experienced guys on the team, but they were closing 30-40% while I was only closing 10%. I was about to get kicked off the team until I figured out this one thing: sub-communication.
So, what exactly is sub-communication? It’s the non-verbal cues and signals that we send when we communicate. These can be things like tone of voice, body language, and overall vibe. It’s the way we say things, not just what we say.
To help you understand this concept better, I want to share a training with you on advanced sub-communication and tonality. In this training, we cover three mechanisms of social conditioning, idea receptiveness, certainty distinctions, influential vocal tonality, and levels of rapport. I’ll also provide personal examples and client examples of good and bad tonality from videos of me as well as call review breakdowns that I’ve done with clients.
The first mechanism we cover is idea receptiveness. Your mind has three primary filters to quickly and easily decide which ideas to accept as true, as there’s too much information in the world for it to process. These filters are certainty, inner alignment, and perceived status. We go into each of these filters in-depth in the training, but I want to touch on certainty here.
Certainty is all about how you say things, not what you say. You could have the best script in the world, but if you’re not saying it with confidence and conviction, it’s not going to land. There are three distinctions of certainty: pumped up, resolve, and expert. Each one conveys a different level of confidence and certainty.
The second mechanism is inner alignment. This is all about walking the walk, not just talking the talk. If you’re not in total alignment with the ideas you’re presenting, people will be able to sense it. Entrepreneurs often make great salespeople because they’re in total alignment with their ideas.
Lastly, we cover perceived status. The more social proof you have, the larger your status delta becomes. This is the perceived difference in status between two people. For example, if a police officer walks up to you and flashes their badge, they have a higher perceived status delta than you do.
Now, how can you apply these concepts to your sales process? First, work on your tonality. Make sure you’re conveying confidence and conviction in what you’re saying. Use shifts in cadence and pauses to hold people’s attention. Second, make sure you’re in total alignment with the ideas you’re presenting. People can sense when you’re not being genuine. And finally, work on building social proof. This could be things like testimonials, case studies, or awards.
But remember, the key to sub-communication is that it’s not just about what you say. It’s about how you say it. So, focus on your non-verbal cues and signals. Are you conveying confidence and conviction in what you’re saying? Are you in total alignment with the ideas you’re presenting? And do you have enough social proof to back up your claims?
Improving your sub-communication skills takes practice, but it’s worth it. Once you master these skills, you’ll be able to increase your closing rate by 5% or more if you’re just starting off. And if you’re already really good, you could see an increase of 10%, 20%, or more!