Digital Dealer - May 2019 - 45

customers' expectations
need to change for you
to successfully take the
next step towards a sale,
the most effective way to
facilitate that change is to
ask questions. This is true
whether the conversation
is price related, payment
related, product related, or
personnel related.
Statements are notorious
for causing disagreement,
but the right questions allow
for discussion. Moreover,
statements rarely change
peoples' perceptions or actions; but the right questions
influence what your customers focus on, think on, and
take action on.
The best communicators
harness the power of questions. The right questions
can help you create curiosity, create credibility, collect
game-changing information,
connect with your customers, create level five value,
and close a deal! In short,
nothing is able to fuel and
advance your opportunity
with a customer more than
asking the right questions.
While questions are a
great tool, there are two
types of questions that
should be avoided at all
cost.
1: QUESTIONS THAT
HARM OR DIMINISH YOUR
TRUSTED ADVISOR
STATUS.

Never ask a question
that forms a wall between
you and your customers.
As a trusted advisor, it is
you and them, in it together.
You must be headed in the
same direction if you want
to reach the same destination.

2: QUESTIONS THAT
DON'T LEAVE THE DOOR
OPEN FOR FURTHER
DISCUSSION.

Never ask a question that
creates a take-it-or-leave-it
scenario. Great communicators are careful to
intentionally leave the doors
open with their customers
no matter what. If you leave
the door open, then every
'No' is nothing more than a
'Not yet.'
Customers buy for their
reasons, not ours. I have no
doubt that you provide your
customers with reasons to
buy; but in order to have

tions, and then we take the
corresponding action, while
our customers sit and wait.
If your customers are only
exchanging words with you,
they are not fully interacting,
and you are missing out on
an important opportunity to
really lean-in and lead your
customers.
We are the ones that
routinely arrange our
customers' choices. A true
professional shows their
customers the way, but if
your customers cannot build
and manipulate their choices through some action on
their part, then they are not

STATEMENTS ARE
NOTORIOUS FOR CAUSING
DISAGREEMENT, BUT THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS ALLOW
FOR DISCUSSION."
an influential conversation,
your customers have to own
it. Their words matter more!
LAW 4: INTERACTION
FUELS ACTION

Nothing inspires action
more than genuine interaction. Interaction only
happens when both you and
your customers are physically taking some sort of action together. This could be
filling out a survey together,
completing an application
together, experiencing a
product together, or selecting an option together. The
key is that whatever action
you're taking; you're taking
it together!
Unfortunately, we are the
ones that typically complete
all of the activities. We simply ask our customers ques-

truly interacting.
All too often we demonstrate our product rather
than help our customers
experience the product.
Whereas, in an influential
conversation, all of the
feeling, flipping, pushing,
pulling, turning, and twisting
is done and experienced by
our customers, not us.
The best communicators know that the magic
doesn't happen when your
customers watch or listen
to someone or something,
the magic happens when
your customers interact
and experience something
meaningful. Your customers
don't want a verbal brochure. They want a professional who gets them and
makes the process fast, fun,
D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

and interactive! Influential
communicators intentionally
create an environment of
urgency by leveraging their
personal connection, their
own urgency to help, and
the momentum created by
interaction.
The four laws of influential
conversations are dependable guideposts that can
help you positively influence
more customers to take action and buy. Professionals
that align their communication with these principles enjoy conversations that result
in more engaged customers
that are eager to listen, and
willing to follow. If you want
to build your personal influence, become a trusted advisor, and leverage solutions
that are aligned with what
really drives your customers
remember: Style Trumps
Substance Initially; Their
Feelings Dominate Your
Facts; Their Words Matter
More; and Interaction Fuels
Action. By applying these
four laws, you can not only
get through to more customers, but you can improve the
customer experience, drive
appointments, and increase
sales!
MIKE HIRSCHFIELD is on a
mission to empower, equip, and
exalt sales and finance teams
everywhere! Mike has served in
both franchise and independent
dealer groups, leading teams
as large as 80+ to reach new
heights of achievement. He
teaches how to build personal influence, become trusted advisors
and leverage personal solutions
that are aligned with a customers'
most powerful buying motives.
Mike empowers teams by developing their ability to build connections and lead customers to take
action and buy now! EMAIL:
Mike@FoundationToWin.com

M AY 2 0 1 9

http://www.DIGITALDEALER.COM

Digital Dealer - May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Dealer - May 2019