In training The Sandler Selling System™, we use this principle when we have our first meeting with a prospect and seek to gain agreement on what is going to occur during the meeting.

We train our sales professionals to say something like “Naturally, you have questions for me. Obviously, I have questions for you. And typically when we’re done with this first meeting we’ll know whether or not we have anything more to talk about.”

Please take a moment to go back and read the above paragraph – omitting the “ly” words to sense the power to which the poster might refer.

Did you notice how each “ly” word slips an important piece of information into the conversation seamlessly, succinctly, and usually “under the radar” – addressing the sub-conscious mind of the individual?

Naturally lets the prospect know s/he is part of a process you have done before and an assumption in that process is that s/he will have questions for you.

Obviously asserts to the prospect literally everyone would find it a given that you are going to have questions for him/her.

Typically informs the prospect that in the number of times you’ve done this process, this first meeting usually finishes by deciding together whether or not there is any reason to meet again.

Consider the economy of words when using ly adverbs. It is due to the fact that it’s usually a single word – enabling it to fly below the prospect’s radar – providing the listener a sense of security to agree with the statement rather than challenge it.

Where else as a leader might you incorporate The Power Of LY through the insertion of some words from this poster into your conversations?

Categories: Influence

Tags: influence