Chapter 4:

Communication for Relationship Building: It’s Not

All Talk

4-1
 Learning Objectives
4-1: Present and discuss the salesperson–buyer communication
process. 
4-2: Determine a person’s personality type. 
4-3: Discuss and illustrate the importance of using nonverbal
communication when selling. 
4-4: Define and recognize acceptance, caution, and
disagreement nonverbal signals. 
4-5: Explain ways of developing persuasive communication. 
 The Core Principles: Communication
• The Core Principles: Communication
– Words
– Body language
– Visual Aids
– Listening
– Unselfishness to help a person make the correct buying decision

4-2
 Communication: It Takes Two
• Communication, in a sales context, is the act of transmitting
verbal and nonverbal information and understanding between
seller and buyer.

• Communication:
– Exchange process of sending and receiving messages with some type
of response expected between seller and buyer.

4-3
 What Did You Say?
What Did I Hear?

• What you say verbally is not always what you actually mean.
• Graphic demonstrates psychological thought processes of both
the speaker and the listener

Jump to Long Image Description

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Salesperson-Buyer Communication Process
Requires Feedback
• Basic communication model: Shows how the salesperson–
buyer communication process works
• Communication occurs when a sender transmits a message
through some type of medium to a receiver who responds to
that message

4-5
Salesperson-Buyer Communication Process
Requires Feedback
• Eight major communication elements
– Source
– Encoding process
– Message
– Medium
– Decoding process
– Receiver
– Feedback
– Noise

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The Basic Communication Model: Eight Elements

• Source: Source of communication (also called the communicator).

• Encoding process. Conversion of ideas and concepts into the language and materials
used in the sales presentation.
• Message. Information intended to be conveyed.
• Medium. Form of communication; most frequently words, visuals, and body language.
• Decoding process. Receipt and translation (interpretation) of the information by the
receiver (prospective buyer).
• Receiver. Person for whom the communication is intended.
• Feedback. Reaction to the communication as transmitted to the sender.
• Noise. Factors that distort communication between buyer and seller. Jump to Long Image Description 4-6

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 Sales Communication Reminders
Two-way communication is
essential to make the sale
• Buyer must understand your
message’s information to make
a buying decision

• Gives salesperson ability to

present a product’s benefits,
instantly receive buyer
reactions, and answer questions

• Buyers usually react both

verbally and nonverbally to your
presentation
4-7
 Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style
• Adaptive selling
– Describes salesperson’s ability to adjust and modify their behaviors to
better align with customers’ needs
• Salesperson uses his or her communication to show he or she
is compatible with the buyer 
• Compatibility increases potential for the buyer to like and
trust the salesperson.
– As liking increases, people are more willing to share information and
even collaborate

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 Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style

• How do you build

compatibility?
• Adjusts your sales approach
to best meet the needs (and
personality style) of the
customer.

4-9
 Adaptive Selling Based on Buyer’s Style
• People’s personalities affect buying behavior by influencing
the types of products that fulfill their particular needs.
• Personality: The individual’s distinguishing character traits,
attitudes, or habits.
• Why understand personality? 
– To adapt your presentation to the buyer’s style
• Thinker
• Intuitor
• Feeler
• Senser

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Adaptive Selling: Understanding Personality
• Why understand personality?
– Salesperson who adjusts his or her sales approach to best meet the
needs (and personality style) of the customer.

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Adaptive Selling: Understanding Personality
• To adapt your presentation to the buyer’s style
– Thinker: Direct, detail-oriented person. Likes to deal in sequence on his/her
time. Very precise, sometimes seen as a nitpicker. Fact oriented.
– Intuitor: Knowledgeable, future-oriented person. Innovator who likes to
abstract principles from a mass of material. Active in community affairs by
assisting in policy making, program development, etc.

– Feeler: People oriented. Very sensitive to people’s needs. An emotional

person rooted in the past. Enjoys contact with people. Able to read people
very well.

– Senser: Action-oriented person. Deals with the world through his/her

senses. Very decisive and has a high energy level.
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 Sales Tips: Adapting to Your Customer
Salespeople consider how they structure elements of sales
conversation:
• Rapport: Does buyer appreciate more relationship-building
rapport does the buyer prefer to be more focused and move
directly to the objectives of the meeting?
• Presenting information: Does the buyer prefer more detailed
data (i.e., charts and graphs or other quantitative data) or a
more descriptive discussion (i.e., testimonials, white papers)
• Challenging or facilitating: Does buyer appreciate someone
who challenges beliefs or someone who acts as a guide?
• Closing: Does the buyer want to make a decision immediately,
or will the buyer need time to think through the alternatives?
 Guidelines to Identify Personality Style
Guideline Thinker
How to describe A direct detail oriented person.
Likes to deal in sequence on
his/her time. Very precise,
sometimes seen as nitpicker.
Fact-oriented
The person's Effective communicator,
strengths deliberate, prudent, weighs
alternatives, stabilizing,
objective, rational, analytical,
asks questions for more facts.
The person's Verbose, indecisive,
drawbacks overcautious, overanalyzes,
unemotional, nondynamic,
controlled and controlling,
overserious, rigit
Time orientation Past, present, future
Environment  
Intuiter
A knowledgeable, future-
oriented person.
A innovator who likes to abstract needs. An emotional person
principles from a mass of
material. Active in community
affairs by assisting in policy
making, program development,
etc.
Original, imaginative,
creative, broad- gauged,
charismatic, idealist, intellectual, values, probing, introspective,
tenacious, ideological,
conceptual, involved.
Unrealistic, far-out ,
fantasy bound, scattered,
devious, out-of-touch, dogmatic,
impractical, poor listener.
Future
Feeler
People oriented.
Very sensitive to people's
rooted in the past, Enjoys
contact with people. Able to
read people very well.
Spontaneous, persuasive,
empathetic, grasps traditional
draws out feelings of others,
loyal, actions based on what
has worked in the past.
impulsive, manipulative,
over-personalizes,
sentimental, postponing, guilt-
ridden, stirs up conflict,
subjective.
Past
Senser
Action oriented person. Deals
with world through his/her
senses. Very decisive and
has high energy level.
Pragmatic, assertive,
directional result-oriented,
technically skillful, objective --
bases opinions on what
he/she actually sees,
perfection seeking, decisive,
direct and down to earth,
action oriented.
Impatient, doesn’t see long
range status-seeking, self-
involved, acts first then
thinks, lacks trust in others,
nit-picking, impulsive, does
not delegate to others.
Present

Desk Usually neat Reference books, theory books, Personal plaques and Chaos
etc. mementos, family pictures,
Room Usually has a calculator or Abstract art, bookcases, trend Decorated warmly with Usually a mess with piles of
computer output, etc charts, etc. pictures of senses or people. paper etc.
Antiques
Dress Neat and coservative Mod or rumpled current styles or informal No jacket; loose tie, or
functional work clothes.
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 Applying Guidelines To Sales Process
  Thinker Intuitor Feeler Senser
What will Rapport will probably be Some level of rapport. It will Rapport may be the Rapport will probably be
rapport likely minimal. They will probably be professional and lengthiest of any pretty limited. The
be like? probably be very polite. communication type. It individual may
businesslike and formal will probably more understand that rapport is
in their rapport. socially oriented vs. part of the interaction but
business oriented. You they will want to get to
might expect laughter the point of the
or humor. discussion.

         
What should Think logic and details. Think creativity, new ideas. Think about the Think about action and
you     relationship. pragmatism.
remember They probably have high They might seem guarded    
about this expectations of and reserved. You may have They probably enjoy They are action-oriented
type of themselves and the to work very diligently to networking; they might and might seem
person? choices they make. receive feedback. appreciate building impatient. They might be
    their network, and seen as focused or
They don’t like to make They enjoy learning new receiving virtual assertive.
bad decisions or make things and stretching their introductions to others.  
mistakes. Accuracy and capacities.   It’s probably a good idea
attention to detail is   They may look not to dive into the
important. They tend to They probably won’t tell you somewhat minutia of details. They
be perfectionists. Don’t they are upset or frustrated, disorganized. are probably pragmatic.
make silly mistakes or but rather keep it to  
spelling errors. It will themselves. You need to earn their
impact your credibility. trust. You will not receive
it immediately.

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 Applying Guidelines To Sales Process
  Thinker
What should They will probably desire:
you remember  Being presented with
when you are many precise options
preparing your  To understand the
presentation? details
 An option that meets
all of their criteria.
 An organized, detailed
discussion and
presentation.
 
It’s okay to be detailed.
They probably enjoy being
immersed in data, analytics
or ensuring they
understand any new system
or process.
Intuitor Feeler Senser
They probably desire: They probably desire: The probably desire:
 To have a salesperson  Some level of social  An agenda and action
who can provide proof or plan for the meeting
knowledge they can recommendations  Logical
learn from from others (i.e. recommendations
 Understand how you testimonials,  Conversations that
can help them with colleagues and peers, don’t dive into non-
their goals or vision
 To evaluate multiple market leaders, etc.) strategic minutia
options  A sales conversation  A discussion that
 To be a little guarded that is more socially- helps facilitate a
and not provide a based, passionate, and decision
great deal of helpful has strong storytelling  A recommendation
feedback. elements. or set of
 To be presented with recommendations
unique solutions that that are tied to action
may be difficult to plans, follow-ups, and
execute. assurance you can
make progress
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Watch for Clues to Someone’s Personality Type

• How would you describe this person?

• What is their time orientation – past, present, future?
• What does their desk look like?
• What does their room look like?
• How do they dress?

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 Determining Style Can Be Difficult
• What is the person’s primary style?
• What is the person’s secondary style?
• Does the person’s style comprise all four types?

4-20
 First Know Your Style
• This helps you to adapt to the other person’s style
• Which leads to better communication
• Knowing your style helps you identify a person’s style,
especially if your styles are the same (It takes one to know
one.)

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 Nonverbal Communication: Watch For It
• Concept of space
– Territorial space: Area around the self that a person will not allow
another person to enter without consent
– Socially acceptable distances of space that people keep between
themselves in certain situation

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 Nonverbal Communication: Watch For It
• Why are space considerations
important?
– Violations of space without
customer consent may create a
defense mechanism and barrier
to communication 
• Intimate space – 2 feet
• Personal space – 2 to 4 feet
• Social space – 4 to 6 feet
• Public space – + 12 feet
– Space threats – too close
– Space invasion – OK to be close

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 Communication Through Appearance
& Handshake
• Shake hands firmly and look
people in the eye
– General handshake rules:
• Demonstrate your interest. If
possible, align your body position
with the buyer
• Step or lean ever-so slightly
forward and initiate the
handshake
• Maintain eye contact with the
buyer
• Show a positive attitude by
smiling.
• Use a positive tone when
introducing yourself or saying
hello.
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 Adapting Your Professional Wardrobe
• Choose attire based on customer and meeting location
– Nonverbal messages that salespeople emit through appearance
should be positive in all sales situations.
– Professional wardrobe might be varied and require you to own a wide
range of apparel.
– Create business wardrobe sending positive, nonverbal messages.

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 Adapting Your Professional Wardrobe
• Business wardrobe depends on:
– Your firm’s dress code
– Work you are conducting
– Whether you are meeting with a customer
– Dress code and culture of your customer.

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 Body Language Gives You Clues
• Customers communicate without uttering a word
• Your ability to interpret nonverbal signals critical tool
• And salesperson’s skillful use and control of physical actions,
gestures, and overall body position also valuable
• Buyers sends nonverbal signals via five communication modes
– Body angle
– Facial expression
– Hand movement
– Arm movement
– Leg position

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Body Language Signals: Red, Yellow, Green

• Knowing body signal guidelines improves salesperson’s

communication ability by:
– Be able to recognize nonverbal signals
– Be able to interpret them correctly
– Be prepared to alter a selling strategy
– Respond positively both nonverbally and verbally to a buyer’s
nonverbal signals
• A person sends three types of messages using body
communication signals

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 Acceptance Signals (Green Light)
• Acceptance signals – a green
light gives the “go ahead.”
– Indicates buyer willing to listen
and/or buyer may like what is being
said.
• Signals:
– Body angle. Leaning forward or
upright.
– Face. Smiling, pleasant expression,
relaxed, eyes examining visual aids,
direct eye contact, positive voice
tones.
– Hands. Relaxed and generally open
– Arms. Relaxed and generally open.
– Legs. Crossed and pointed toward
you or uncrossed.
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 Caution Signals (Yellow Light)
• Caution signals: Gives neutral or
skeptical sign.
• Indicates buyer may be
uncertain, skeptical, concerned.
• Body angle. Leaning away from
you. 
– Face. Puzzled, little or no
expression, averted eyes or little
eye contact.
– Arms. Crossed, tense.
– Hands. Moving, fidgeting with
something, clasped.
– Legs. Moving, crossed away from
you.

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 Disagreement Signals (Red Light)
• Disagreement signals: Person
may not be interested in your
product
– Body angle. Retracted
shoulders, leaning away from
you.
– Face. Tense, showing anger,
wrinkled face and brow, little
eye contact.
– Arms. Tense, crossed over chest.
– Hands. Motions of rejection or
disapproval, tense and
clenched.
– Legs. Crossed and away from
you.
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 What Would You Do?
• You arrive at the industrial purchasing agent’s office on time.

• This is your first meeting. After you have waited five minutes, the
agent’s secretary says, “She will see you.”

• After the initial greeting, she asks you to sit down

• Next three (3) slides review unique situation.

– Identify the following:
• What nonverbal signals is she communicating?
• How would you respond nonverbally?
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 What Would You Do? Situation #1
• She sits down behind her What nonverbal signal is she
desk. communicating?

• How would you respond

• She sits up straight in her
nonverbally?
chair.

• Answer Options:
• She clasps her hands – Green (acceptance)
together and with little nonverbal signal.
expression on her face says – Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
• “What can I do for you?” nonverbal signal.
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 What Would You Do? Situation #2
• As you begin the main part • What nonverbal signal is
of your presentation, the she communicating?
buyer reaches for the
telephone and says, “Keep
going; I need to tell my • How would you respond
secretary something.” nonverbally?

• Answer Options:
– Green (acceptance)
nonverbal signal.
– Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
nonverbal signal.
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 What Would You Do? Situation #3
• In the middle of your
presentation, you notice the
buyer slowly leans back in
her chair. 
• As you continue to talk, a
puzzled looks comes over
her face.
• What nonverbal signal is
she communicating?
• How would you respond
nonverbally?
• Answer Options:
– Green (acceptance)
nonverbal signal.
– Yellow (caution) nonverbal
signal.
– Red (disagreement)
nonverbal signal. 4-35
 Adapting To Your Buyer
• Mirroring or mimicry:
– When people take part in similar actions at relatively same time (i.e.
within three to five seconds).
– May include mimicking one other’s actions, such as shrugs, their body
position, such as their posture, other actions.
– Provides opportunity to create compatibility and liking

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 Encoding Best Practices:
The Sender’s Professional Communication
Encoding: Salesperson converting ideas into language

1. Reduce vocalized pauses:

– Words and phrases speakers injected between words when they speak
– “umm,” “uhh,” “like,” “awesome,” “great,” or “and”

2. Positive, specific, professional language

– Create opportunity for greater understanding by buyer.
– Creates greater levels of enthusiasm and interest within the buyer.
– Creates a perception of credibility and expertise.
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 Encoding Best Practices:
The Sender’s Professional Communication

3. Use transitions to ensure the discussion flows:

– Transitions help relate or link two ideas or sections of the conversation
in a natural way.
– Replaying buyer’s needs.
• “And Mr. Jones, you mentioned that all new products introduced into your
store required incremental promotional support [replaying the need]. I’m
happy to report that our multi-tiered marketing plan provides over
$3,000,000 in consumer promotions. . . .”

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 Encoding Best Practices:
The Sender’s Professional Communication

4. Proof statements create credibility:

– Substantiate salesperson’s claim
– Quote/acknowledged experts in a field
– Encourages customer belief in the validity of information presented

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 Encoding:
The Sender’s Professional Communication
5. Express enthusiasm, through vocal tone and vocal inflection:
Using varied levels of inflection in voice; vocal tone demonstrates interest in other
person.

6. Express empathy when appropriate:

Ability to identify and understand the other person’s feelings, ideas, and situation.
I’m here to help you,” or “Tell me your problems and needs so I can help you.”

7. Keep the message simple:

Invest time and effort to distill complex subjects into readily understandable element
– Avoid overly complex, technical presentation when it is unnecessary
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 Encoding:
The Sender’s Professional Communication

8. Use feedback to guide your communication:

– Recognizable response, signals to the salesperson
– Questioning, (i.e. probing), allows salesperson to determine buyer’s
attitude toward product

9. Generate feedback on your communicated benefits through

a trial close:
– Plan your feedback-producing questions
– Use trial close as part of your SELL Sequence

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Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Listen Carefully
• Listening helps you understand the
buyer’s needs/concerns
– Hearing vs. Listening
– Listen to words, feelings, and thoughts

• Difference between listening and

remembering:
– Listening is  process of receiving message
the way the speaker intended to send it. 
– Memory is recall over time
– Listening impacts memory `

4-42

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 Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Listen Carefully

• Why you should develop your listening skills:

– Untrained listener: Likely to understand and retain only 50 percent of
conversation
• After 48 hours, the retention rate drops to 25 percent.

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 Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Three Levels of Listening

1. Marginal listening:
– Involves least concentration.
– Listeners easily distracted by their
thoughts.
– Enormous room for misunderstanding
during marginal listening

©business images/Getty Images

4-44

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Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Three Levels of Listening

• 2. Evaluative listening:
– Requires more concentration and
attention to speaker’s words.
– Listener actively hears but doesn’t make
effort to understand intent.
– Doesn’t try to understand; instead
categories statement & concentrates on
preparing a response.

4-45

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Decoding a Sales Conversation:
Three Levels of Listening

• Step 3. Active listening:

– Listener refrains from evaluating the
message.
– Attempts to understand other person’s
point of view.
– Focuses on words spoken AND thoughts,
feelings, and meaning conveyed.
– Requires listener to give the other person
verbal and nonverbal feedback.

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 Active Listening Guidelines
• Stop talking.
• Your goal is to listen for 80% of the conversation and
• talk for only 20%.
• Show the prospect you want to listen.
• Pay active attention.
• Watch for nonverbal messages and project positive
• signals.
• Recognize feelings and emotions.
• Ask questions to clarify meaning.
4-47
 Active Listening Guidelines
• If appropriate, restate the
prospect’s position for
clarification.
• Listen to the full story.
• Take notes. Summarize key
points in three to five words.
• Use appropriate body language,
such as leaning forward and
nodding.
• Keep interpreting. Ask yourself,
“Where is the person
experiencing challenges, pains,
and opportunities?”
• Keep asking yourself, “How can I
assist this person?”
4-48
 Summary of Major Selling Issues
• Communication is the transmission of verbal and nonverbal
information and understanding between a salesperson and
prospect
• Modes of communication – words, gestures, visual aids
• Communication process model
• Barriers may hinder or prevent constructive communication
during a sales presentation

4-43
 Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont…
• Barriers must be recognized and overcome or eliminated

• Nonverbal communication is a critical component of the

overall communication process
– Territorial space, handshake, eye contact, body language

4-44
 Can You Answer?
1. What is the definition of communication, in a sales context?
What are eight elements of a basic communication model?

2. What is the definition of adapting selling? What are the four

communication practices that may help a salesperson in
adapting to a buyer?

3. What are four key guidelines to identify personality style?

4-44
 Can You Answer?
4. What are four major nonverbal communication channels?

5. Why is listening important in a sales context and what are the

three levels of listening?

6. What is mirroring and how it can help a salesperson?

7. What are the eight best practices to ensure your sales

communication is encoded effectively?

4-44
Psychological thought processes of both the speaker and the listener
Alternative Text

• The key take-away from the graphic is that psychological

barriers and filters impact what you think you said or what
you actually set, regardless of whether you are the speaker or
the listener. Two identical sets of graphics are portrayed. One
set of graphics is for the speaker and one set of graphics is for
the listener. The identical graphics contain two squares, one
on each side of an oblong shape. On the speaker side, the
square on the left side states, "What I thought I said." The
square on the right side states "What I actually said." The
oblong in the middle represents the psychological barrier or
filter. A similar graphic with squares and oblongs exists on the
listener side. The squares on the left side states "What I
actually heard," and the left side square states "What I
thought I heard." Return to the image on the slide
 Basic Communication Model
Alternative Text
• Graphic displays basic communication process as applied to a sales
conversation. Graphic has five boxes in a sequential process with
arrows between each box. On the fifth box, an arrow at the bottom of
the box returns to the first box to represent a feedback loop. The first
box states "salesperson" and represents the communication source.
The arrow between the first and second box represents the noise in
the communication process. The second box states "development of
the sales presentation message." It represents the encoding element.
The third box states " actual sales presentation" and represents the
message and medium stage. The fourth box states, "buyer interprets
sales presentation" and represents the decoding process. The arrow
between the fourth and fifth box represents the noise. The fifth box
states "the buyer receives message" and represents the receiver. The
feedback arrow displays noise can occur during the return process.

Return to the image on the slide

 Nonverbal Communication/Spatial
Alternative Text
The graphic displays two people in an office setting. Each
individual is on the opposite side of a desk. On the floor are four
concentric circles that represent the level of space that is
important between individuals. As such, the graphic displays
why are space considerations important. The first, innermost
circle represents intimate space – 2 feet. The second circle
represents personal space – 2 to 4 feet. The third circle
represents social space – 4 to 6 feet. The outermost circle
represents public space – + 12 feet.

Return to the image on the slide