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howtomakeconversation.com |
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Make Yourself A Conversation Winner |
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Schmooze. Why schmooze? Because schmoozing is how to sell.
To schmooze, according to one dictionary definition, is to: "Talk casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or to make a
social connection." In the world of selling or business, you could translate that
definition this way. Schmooze To Sell
Why is schmoozing critical? Because it's a proven fact people prefer to buy from and do business with people they know, like and trust. And schmoozing (conversation and small talk) is the main way to
accomplish this. Conversation Paves Way
Rapport and relationships are often built by establishing "common
ground" with the customer -- about something that has absolutely nothing
to do with the product or service you're trying to sell.
A good case in point was the experience of a conversation coaching client of mine, a home
improvements salesman. Schmoozing Salesman Succeeds
It turned out the homeowner had previous sales calls from other companies seeking to sell him roofing and siding. Since the salesman did not know the homeowner, he decided to "break the ice" with a compliment to the homeowner about his landscaping . . . a subject the salesman, himself, was interested in. The customer was delighted . . . both by the compliment and the fact the salesman was into landscaping, too. They proceeded to talk about landscaping for the next 30 minutes,
never mentioning the roofing and siding -- the purpose of the sales
call. Dealing With A Friend, Not A Salesman
He was dealing with someone he knew, someone he liked, someone with whom he had rapport. The result: Schmoozing worked for this salesman.
Practicing What I Preach
I had not known him, so I asked him to lunch . . . just a "get acquainted" lunch because I had no particular project or service in mind since I knew nothing about his needs. At lunch, we chatted for about an hour and quickly established a common ground -- because he was a marketer, too, and, I found, he was a golfer, like I am. The result: He did not have a current need for my services, so
no sale resulted . . . at least not then. However, a month later I got a
call from him and he told me a colleague of his out of state might be
able to use my services. The $50K Plus Schmooze
All because I took the trouble to schmooze. Sometimes in the business world, you're not necessarily trying to make a sale, but, rather, gain the cooperation of someone. One of the best examples of the power of schmoozing in this area comes from a story published in the Wall Street Journal about an attempt to locate and close down illegal moonshine stills in Kentucky. The Federal government had sent in a series of agents, but could get
no information from the locals to help them locate the stills. The Persuasive Peddler
In short order, the agent had gathered information from the locals leading to the closing of more than 100 stills. The moral of this story? Your ability to make conversation -- to schmooze -- to build rapport and relationships with people -- is one of your most powerful selling tools. So, when you're selling, think of it this way: Schmooze it or lose it.
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Schmoozing To Build Great Conversation & Relationships And Promote Your
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Copyright © 2009 Paul Barton
Paul Barton is a marketing consultant and conversation coach, and the author of several books, including: How To Be GREAT!!! In Conversation and How To Build Rapport And Relationships.
Conversation coaching
via phone at your convenience. 1.5 hours, $99.95, including
above two books and we pay for the call anywhere in the world. Call 315-635-2730 or click here to
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how to
schmooze and sell.
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Your success in achieving your own conversation goals is up to you. Success cannot be guaranteed. That depends on your situation and how you apply what you learn. Examples provided above are individual situations and may not be representative of results you might expect to achieve. Sellfire Value Marketing, LLC assumes no responsibility or liability for your reliance on observations or recommendations resulting from this coaching or any products or services at this site.
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