Can You Hear What I See? (Part II)

On Friday, we introduced you to the science of NLP. Neurolinguistics is the study of the neural mechanisms in the human brain that control the comprehension, production and acquisition of language. In plain English, that means how to communicate effectively so people understand you.

Today, we share the “how to adapt.” The first key is to listen very carefully to the words they use. By listening to how your clients communicate with you, you will easily identify their primary communication style. We created a Communication Style Identification Chart & Tips; send an email and we’ll be happy to share.

When you’ve identified the communication style of your prospects and clients, it’s almost magical how much better the information and understanding will flow. Here are a few ways to communicate with the different styles.

Communicating with auditory people:

• Speak clearly and in plain language.

• Invite questions and discussion.

• Read instructions and directions aloud.

• Ask people if they can hear what is being said.

Communicating with visual people:

• Invite visual people to write down directions or instructions.

• Discuss ways for the other person to view or see the information.

• In person-to-person discussion watch for the “squint” expression, which indicates the visual person doesn’t "see" the message.

• In person, maintain eye contact with the other person.

Communicating with kinesthetic people:

• Encourage participation throughout the process or discussion.

• Be willing to answer a lot of questions about why and how things work.

• Invite questions about the “big picture.”

• Give examples, stories, situations and experiences — tie it to their reality.

Having your information seen, heard or felt involves presenting it in the style that your prospects and clients best understand it. Taking these simple steps of identifying and then communicating in that style will lead you to greater relationship strength, understanding, and connection. Those things, of course, will lead to you having a greater ability to solve the problems of your clients and make more sales.