You don't have to be a sales professional to know the importance of effective communication and what a disaster it can be if there are breaks in communication. But it is especially true in sales.
One way to insure you are being understood and your prospect is getting everything out of your conversation, is to make sure you're both starting from the same place. You don't want to inadvertently talk down to the prospect and appear condescending. For example, if you're speaking with a seasoned business owner you don't want to say, "When a check is submitted to you, it is deposited in the bank and if there is no money in the account, it is returned to you and you may be charged a fee."
But, at the same time you don't want to be throwing numbers around and watch the prospect's head spin. For example saying something such as, "So, of course, the .034 on the FAA applies to the transactions through the Tranz 330 at the POS," to someone who is just starting out in the retail world. The key is determining the prospect's knowledge level and tailoring your communications to fit that level.
But how? Well, try to get the answers to a few simple questions, such as: Why is this person in business? Has this merchant used a check guarantee service before? Who told him/her about check guarantee? Will what he/she already knows hurt or help my presentation? What does the merchant expect from my service? Why should he/she care about check guarantee?
Once you have an idea of these answers, you can manipulate what you say and how you say it so you receive the desired response, the sale! For example, if the merchant opened a dress shop because his grandmother used to work in a dress shop and he spent most of his afternoons there, then you are going to want a more emotional approach. On the other hand, if this merchant has a check guarantee service and had a bad experience with another service, you are going to want to focus on facts, dollar figures, and approval rates.
The key is taking the information you have and showing each merchant how that data will benefit his or her specific business.
