This document provides guidance on developing strong communication skills to build a personal brand. It discusses understanding different communication styles and how to tailor your message for each style. Key strategies covered include using open-ended questions, active listening, presenting ideas persuasively, overcoming objections, and closing the sale. The document emphasizes preparation, empathy, building rapport, and tailoring your approach for different personality types.

1. Communication Skills
as
You Build Your Personal Brand
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3. AHAS
Your Take Aways and Reminders of What You Know
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4. THE ART OF PERSUASION
 Talk in “word pictures.” Tune into all of the senses and figure out which type
of person your prospect is—audio, visual, or kinesthetic. Use words that take
the prospect on a “mental journey.”
 Talk with spice and variety in your voice, inflection, and pause. Enthusiasm—
means “I am sold myself!”
 Image counts and speaks volumes—make a good first impression. Your posture
and movement say a lot about your self-confidence, energy and personality.
Smile—and shake hands firmly—confidence projects—even on the phone.
 Build rapport through body language and gestures.
 Adopt an assumptive attitude—“When we go forward….”
 Show a future need— “As the business grows, you’ll want this….”
 Pinpoint buying style: “How did you decide in the past…?”
 Restate the prospect’s statement to show empathy; “I understand how you feel
at this time, however….” — (feel, felt, found theory)
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5. STRATEGIES TO PROPOSE NEW IDEAS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
When you present an idea to a client you have 3 things going in your favor:
 Your research, planning and preparation
 Your ability to ask high gain, open ended questions
 Your ability to LISTEN
Why does someone buy from Baccarat?
They see the benefits.
 Anticipate objections
 Discuss options
 Re-focus benefits
 Always get a commitment or an answer with each point you make. Bring
closure and stop.
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6. YOUR PRESENTATION
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Limit your own talking.
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Put yourself in their shoes.
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Ask open-ended questions.
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Hold your thought—don’t interrupt.
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Use positive interjections.

Use persuasive, positive selling words.

Body Language—Be Present
THE SKILL OF QUESTIONING
Develop the Art and Skill of Continual Questioning
 Questions are like a road map…
 You can’t get the right answers if you don’t ask questions.
 The most powerful words in selling: “What Do You Think?
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7. POWERFUL QUESTIONS
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Be prepared to answer all questions
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Questions are opportunities to move forward
How to Prepare for Questions:
 Before your sales presentation, ask yourself all the questions you think could be
asked, then review the answers.
 Be 150% PREPARED!
How to Answer Questions:

Listen. Make sure you understand the question. Look at the person who is
asking it.
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Pause and think before speaking.

Repeat the question if you need to clarify.
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Keep your tone and style of delivery even.
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Give reasons and examples to support your answers.
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Summarize your points.
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8. STEPS TO CLOSING THE SALE
 Get your prospect to say “yes”. As you talk to a prospect, ask questions
that he or she will answer “yes” to. This helps to establish the right frame of
mind. (Minor agreement.)
 Keep digging for reasons behind your prospect’s objections. Probe and
question your prospect. To every objection ask “tell me more”. Tell me
what the ideal situation would be.
 Find out what the client wants. Show him or her how Baccarat is the right
product line.
 Sell benefits, not features.
 Concentrate on a single point.
 Know when to stop. Many sales are lost because the salesperson keeps
talking past the point where the prospect is willing to buy. Learn how to
read people and recognize when they’re ready.
 Surround the account. Enlist the support of the people who make final
decisions. Surround the account—get to know all people who make the
decisions.
 Be persistent. Keep building and developing the relationship with the
prospect and client.
 Close the sale. Always be asking for the next step….
 Stay in touch. Stress the benefits to them. The relationship has just begun.
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9. WHY WE DON’T HEAR OTHERS 
When you want to listen so you really hear what others say, make sure you’re not
a:
 Mind reader. You’ll hear little or nothing as you think, “What is this
person really thinking or feeling?”
 Rehearser. Your mental tryouts for “Here’s what I’ll say next time” tune
out the speaker.
 Filterer. Some call this selective listening—hearing only what you want to
hear.
 Dreamer. Drifting off during face-to-face or telephone conversation can
lead to an embarrassing “What did you say?” or “Could you repeat that?”
 Identifier. If you refer everything you hear to your experience, you
probably didn’t really hear what was said.
 Comparer. When you get sidetracked assessing the messenger, you’re sure
to miss the message.
 Derailer. Changing the subject too quickly soon tells others you’re not
interested in anything they have to say.
 Placater. Agreeing with everything you hear just to be nice or to avoid
conflict does not mean you are a good listener.
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10. LISTENING GUIDES
Do:
Clear your mind of distractions.
Do:
Observe non-verbal messages.
Do:
Wait until the speaker stops before you respond.
Do:
Listen for meaning.
Do:
Listen for what is not being said.
Do:
Ask as many questions as necessary to understand a speaker’s message.
Do:
Look directly at the speaker.
Do:
Take notes if it helps you concentrate.
Do:
Say you don’t understand if you need more clarification.
Do:
Relate your responses to what the speaker has said.
Do:
Respond non-verbally until the speaker finishes.
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11. COMMUNICATION STYLES
Find your natural or primary communication style below. Even though you have
one dominant style, you use all styles, some more than others. On a 1-4 scale, with
1 being your Primary style, and 4 being the style you use the least rate the
following:
Expressive
Rating: ____
You are animated, energetic, and spontaneous. You easily communicate your
ideas, sometimes throwing out half-formed ideas to gather more input. You enjoy
involving people. You like variety, are curious and sometimes impulsive. You
could overlook details. People say you are expressive, innovative, persuasive and
outgoing.
Amiable
Rating: _____
You are empathetic, sympathetic and friendly. You have a warm tone of voice and
frequently show concern for the people for whom you work. You are very steady
and caring. You are good at anticipating people’s needs. You are often described
as being patient, controlled, concerned and cooperative.
Analytical
Rating: _____
You live in the world of the mind and like to keep your ideas private. You are
quite deliberate. When solving a problem you like to weigh each alternative and
consider all the facts. You are organized and systematic. You tend toward
perfectionism. You are detail oriented, thorough and orderly.
Driver
Rating: _____
You are a possibilities thinker. You value action, get impatient, and are easily
bored. You are results oriented. It is relatively easy for you to make decisions and
take calculated risks. You do not like to spend time considering a lot of
alternatives. People say you have a lot of drive, make a good leader, and are
assertive and outspoken.
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12. Driver
 Be brief, get to the point quickly, and be clear and specific.
 Stick to business. Come prepared, be well organized and have support
material that you may never open.
 Start with WIIFM—for him/her personally and professionally.
 Be sure of yourself, be firm.
 Present the facts logically and plan to be concise and efficient.
 Hit quick and hard—he buys on impulse.
 Bottom line the facts.
 If you disagree, take issue with the facts, not the person.
 Close by asking for action on his part.
 Be ready to deliver on short notice.
 After talking business, depart graciously.
 Mailings and more material are a waste.
Expressive
 Plan interaction that supports their feelings and intuitions. Use time to be
stimulating. Be sociable—but keep on track.
 He likes the new and novel—make things exciting.
 He likes special attention.
 He likes to talk about himself, his work, style of life.
 Let him talk—yet keep things moving logically.
 Do not deal with extensive verbal details, he will not remember. Put them in
writing.
 Ask his opinion.
 Be prepared—he will interrupt.
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13.  He likes visual aides.
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14. Amiable
 Sell yourself first. You must win him as a friend first.
 Show sincere interest in him as a person. Find areas of common interest and
agreement.
 Patiently draw out his expectations and work with them.
 Present your case softly and without threat.
 Ask “how” questions.
 Do not push.
 Let him move at his own pace.
 He is possessive.
 He will want assurances that all promises will be kept.
 Make sure the closing of your visit is a logical, natural conclusion of the
conversation.
Analytical
 Plan your work and work your plan. Use time to be accurate.
 Approach him in a straightforward, direct but low key way.
 Support his logical, methodical approach. Build your credibility by listing
Pros and Cons to the subject.
 Use comparative data and expectations to be derived.
 Be sure you answer all of his questions—those he does ask and those he
only ponders to himself.
 Handle all objections completely.
 You must continually verify that you have answered all of his
questions/objections because he will be very slow to come to a decision.
 Appeal to his sense of logic.
 His extreme caution will make him want quality, reliability and precedent
for his actions.
 He wants time to think and consult with others.
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15.  He is a low risk taker—wants guarantees and an escape hatch.
 He is interested in research and statistics.
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17. SKILL FOR SUCCESS—YOU HOLD THE POWER
The first thing people notice when you walk into a meeting is your overall image.
Within less than 9 seconds they have already made an impression of you and
created opinions. Statistics tell us that first impressions are right 67% of the time.
Studies show how these first impressions are made up of three basic categories:
Visual
Verbal
Non-verbal
1. Visual: how you look, stand & carry yourself 55%
2. Non-verbal: tone of voice, attitude. 38%
3. Verbal (your actual words) 7% (Listening)
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18. SMILE AWAY DIFFICULT PEOPLE
Here's an easy way to "change" by using my S.M.I.L.E. principle. I hope it brings
one to your face after you review the list:
S
M
I
Stay in control. Think about how your responses could be perceived by
others.
Make yourself hear. This has little to do with volume or emotion. Instead, it's about
speaking clearly, and with a style that other people will appreciate. To understand
their style, observe and listen to them, discover what their hot buttons are, and
make sure you avoid pushing them.
Involve them by asking questions. Listen to their answers carefully. Then you can
respond to their specific concerns, and then ask more questions that address issues
that interest both parties.
L
Let go. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to walk away. The relationship
could improve by giving the difficult situation a "rest." Coming back to the
problem later may allow it to be viewed from a different perspective.
E
Keep your Ego in check. Let your "conscience be your guide," and maintain
respect for the other person. Your goal is for both parties to win the war over
the problem, even if you have to surrender a battle.
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19. BODY LANGUAGE
Visual Impressions: Appearance, grooming, positive energy
Voice Projection: Vocal quality, tone, pace
Word Usage: Verbal dexterity, rapport, listening, matching
Body Language: Demeanor, gestures, carriage, facial expressions
Public Speaking: Preparation, intention, passion, embraced nervousness
Manners: Professionalism, social diplomacy
Non-Verbal Signals: Eye contact, handshakes, spatial relationships, likeability
Leadership: Vision, determination, risk-taking, influence
Confidence: Esteem of self and others, trust
Body Language Speaks Volumes
 Smile - “A yawn is a silent shout!”
 Mirror or synchronize your body movements to
them
 Speak with passion and conviction
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20. INTERPRET THE MESSAGE
WORDS
Words themselves have little meaning. They are merely vehicles for the thoughts
and feelings of the speaker. Words are not actual experience, but a means of
explaining experiences. It is people who give meaning to words.
FILTERS
Both listeners and speakers have filters, which help or hinder the interpreting
process. These filters are in our brains “data base,” and they attach personal
meaning to information as it is presented. Some examples of filters include the
following; can you add others?
memories
current attention span
language and vocabulary
perceptions
past experiences
needs and motives
biases
values
age
attitudes
knowledge and intelligence
sensory acuity
expectations
feelings
assumptions
emotional hot-buttons
TONE OF VOICE
Voice conveys approximately 30 percent of the meaning of a message. Voices can
be insistent, pleading, questioning, whining, demanding, etc. Tom speaks in a
quiet monotone. Even though he is intelligent, his voice lacks conviction, and
people don’t take him seriously.
NONVERBAL CUES
A nonverbal cue, or body language, is a message sent by such things as a speaker’s
gestures, facial expressions, eyes and posture. Good listeners interpret a speaker’s
nonverbal feedback through five channels: ears, eyes, heart, mind and intuition.
Nonverbal cues, along with tone of voice, confirm or deny the message of the
words. More than half of most human interaction is through nonverbal
communication.
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21. LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR MANAGERS
 Make others feel important ― emphasize their strengths and Contributions
 Promote a vision ― let people know where you’re leading them and how
that goal is valuable to them.
 Follow the Platinum Rule ― talk to your people in their language.
Understand the way to communicate with them.
 Admit mistakes― It’s the secure person who can do this and will in effect
create more loyalty.
 Criticize only in private ― Public praise encourages others to excel-however criticism only embarrasses and alienates
 Stay close to the Action ― Be visible to the members of your team. Talk to
them, visit their offices, ask questions and observe how business is being
handled.
 Create a healthy competition ― it’s valuable when used correctly. Set team
goals, and rewards. Examine your setback and celebrate your group’s
successes.
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22. MANAGEMENT BY DELEGATION
 Stress Results ― empower them to do the day to day and deliver results.
 Enlist Creative Thinking ― teach your people how to solve their challenges.
In the long run, this saves time and money.
 Turn Questions Around ― ask for possible solutions and answers.
 Establish Measurable and Concrete Objectives ― be both clear and specific.
Think of creating a plan like a road map.
 Give Realistic and Firm Deadlines ― encourage accountability.
 Keep a Delegation Log ― know who you’re delegating to and write it down.
You’re then able to monitor progress.
 Recognize the Talents and Personalities ― become a good coach. You have
to know what projects each person can handle and what they can’t.
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23. SKILLS TO IMPROVE CONVERSATION
 The Benefits of Pausing
 Ask Questions
 Paraphrase the Speaker's Words
 Demonstrate Attentiveness
 Listening Builds Trust
 Listening Develops Discipline
CLIENT-PROSPECT PROFILE
Topics to Learn Over Time
 Name
 Company/Firm
 Phones-Company, Home and Cell
 Assistant’s Name
 Address—Work and Home
 Job Promotions/Moves
 Professional Associations
 Active in Community
 Birthday
 Education-High School, College, Degrees
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24.  Fraternity or Sorority, Military Service
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25.  What they said when you ask them: “Why do you work with me?” or “Why
do you give to our cause?”
 Hobbies/Interests
 Favorite Foods/Restaurants
 How do you receive your information and news—online or print editions
 Vacation Interests
 Spouse name and occupation and interests
 Children—names and education-schools, interest
 Pets
 Preferred method of communication-email/phone/text/--other
 Special Holidays
 Who you refer to them
 Who they refer you to
 His or her immediate business objective
 What kind of personality or communication style does this person have:
– Dominant, Expressive, Amiable, Analytical
 How you met
 Specific Likes
 Specific Dislikes
 Previous Work experience and business background
 Anniversary of doing business together
 Professional Organizations
 Clubs or other special interests
 Know what ‘motivates’ them
 Any achievement about this person that you know that makes them proud
 Ask for their advice and information given
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26.  How you have handled any problems that have arisen with their account
 How do you like to receive your news? Internet; print; media; etc?
5 DRIVERS FOR NETWORKING
SUCCESS

Meet People and Nurture Your Networks

Listen and Learn

Create Advocacy

Follow Up with a Plan

Stay in Touch Creatively
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27. ACTION PLAN
TODAY,
As a result of today’s session, I have learned my key strengths are:
As a result of today’s session, I will work on:
Goal #1
Goal #2
As a result of today’s session, I want to learn more about:
Goal #1
Goal #2
As a result of today’s session, an exercise I will commit to practice is:
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28. I WILL REEVALUATE MY PROGRESS IN 3 MONTHS, ON:
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29. ACTION PLAN - 3 MONTH UPDATE
As a result of the workshop on
, I have made progress on:
1. Capitalizing on my key strengths:
2. Taking steps towards my goals:
Goal #1
Goal #2
3. Continuing to find additional resources for:
Goal #1
Goal #2
Evaluate your experience practicing your chosen exercise and decide if you want
to continue with it, or select another to practice:
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30. MY NEXT PROGRESS REVIEW WILL BE:
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