So, now you have prepared your facts and figures. You know what you want and what the customer may want, and you have a BATNA to keep yourself calm. It is time to think about how you communicate with the customer.

All business is about people and we are emotional, irrational, and impulsive when it comes to decision-making. You need to connect with your customer to help them make a good decision.

To do this, mirroring and labeling can be useful. Both methods will show the customer that you are paying close attention to what he/she is saying – an important factor in building trust.

Mirroring is the repetition of key words that the other person uses. For example:
– “NCAB has a good quality but the PCB price is too expensive.”
– “Too expensive?”

When you repeat (without sounding ironic or questioning), you show that you’re listening and that you understand what people are saying, which puts them at ease.

Labeling is putting words on feelings – “You seem upset about this”; or “This seems important to you.” It has the same purpose as mirroring: to show that you listen and understand. It also has the advantage that the customer can let us know if we misunderstand him/her.

This is also a way to remind ourselves to listen carefully, and to let the customer know that we are listening carefully.

Listening builds trust, makes the customer relax, and gives us important information on how to add value – all very good things.

So, the most important thing about communication is not how we talk, but how we listen.
Show your interest.