When communicating a message to your buyers (or anyone) how much control do you have over the message you send? How much time and energy do you put into the words you are going to share?  And is that enough to guarantee the message you want to convey is heard?

It seems to me that more effort is put into the words we say than HOW we say them.  We control our words and prepare for WHAT we will say.  Which is good..but to be a GREAT communicator and sales pro, HOW we say the words is as important as what the words are!

Last night, on a flight from Milwaukee, WI to Cincinnati, OH – I experienced the power of the HOW. The plane was making its final descent into Cincinnati and we were about to touch ground when we quickly began to ascend.  There was a lot of nervous chatter from passengers and then the pilot made an announcement that they abandoned landing because the controls did not pass through the landing checklist successfully and they were going to circle and try again.

Okay…he sounded confident in his message and everyone settled down. And then…

Eight minutes later we began our descent again…the pilot announced that we were going to ‘try again’ and that “We sssshhhhooooouuuuullllldddd have no ‘uh’ problem this time.”

The words….‘no problem’were lost in the overly exaggerated word ‘should’ and the hesitation before the word problem.  HOW the pilot delivered the message created nervousness in the passengers.  His control of his emotions was not as good as the control he hopefully had over the plane.

Although we landed safely – the passengers kept discussing the ‘near death’ experience all the way through the airport and for the group of dance families traveling together, well into the evening.  We were never near death…but the perception was strong.

Now to you, think about your messages to buyers. How confident and controlled are you when you:

• Are explaining your solution or stating the investment?
• Share cost and investment information?
• Respond to concerns or objections?

Yes, the words matter; and your controlled delivery, emotions, and tone  matter too!    A few tips:

• Build the value and benefits of what you will be discussing in your mind first.Your belief affects your tone and confidence.
• Deliver your message confidently. Keep your voice strong and steady.  ‘Uh’, ‘Umm’, etc. reduce the message’s impact.
• Prepare for HOW you will deliver the message and the message. Prepare for the words and HOW you will share them.
• Practice to hear your voice. In our Powerful Presentations workshop,we videotape participants. They are always surprised at how they sound. Speak your message out loud and listen to the real message you are sending.

There are many factors that affect the message that is actually received in our communication, controlling how you deliver your information will increase the probability that the correct message is received.

P.s. I could write another additional post just about the taxi ride to the hotel….a driver who was texting and driving at 60 mph. In this situation, I took control and said ‘no texting and driving with us in the car’ – and he did put the phone down.  Exiting the taxi at the hotel, I was so happy to have my two feet on solid ground 🙂