Tonality in Sales: How To Win and Influence Customers
Totality in sales can play an important factor in whether a deal is won or lost. Yet, we often overlook the power our tone has on customers.
With a confident and assuring tone, you can influence a prospect. Tonality can help book meetings, create opportunities and lead to more closed deals.
In this blog post, we will discuss what tonality is, how tone can be used in sales and different techniques that you can use to improve your tonality. We’ll also provide examples of how to use the right tonality during different types of sales calls.
What is tonality in sales?
In any sales conversation, tonality is one of the most important aspects to focus on. Tonality can emphasize specific points, build rapport, convey confidence and create a positive buying experience.
Tonality in sales is your voice’s inflection, pitch, and rhythm.
It’s how you sound when you’re speaking. Using a particular tonality in sales can change the meaning of what you’re saying.
For example, if you’re cold calling a prospect, a subtle happy tone can come off as friendly and positive. But if you use a negative tonality, it can make the same call sound angry or aggressive.
Why is tonality critical in sales?
Tonality is important in sales because it can help to emphasize key points, build rapport with customers and create a positive buying experience. When you’re on a sales call, pay attention to your tonality and use it to your advantage.
The tone of voice can dictate how a prospect feels about you.
Research from the professor of psychology, Albert Mehrabian, found the 7-38-55 rule in communication. It states that only 7% of communication is verbal, 38% is nonverbal, and 55% is visual. 38% of nonverbal communication is through the tonality of our voice and body language,
Tonality conveys emotion and emphasizes how you say things rather than what you say.
For example, if you’re trying to build rapport with a customer, use a friendly and positive tonality. You are using a clear and concise tonality to emphasize a critical point. And if you want to create a positive buying experience, use an excited and enthusiastic tonality.
By having a confident tone, you can reassure customers of the value of your product or service. Confidence also helps you effectively convey a value proposition or sales pitch. This is important because you’ll need to communicate how your product can solve a customer’s business pain points.
Tone of voice
Tonality in sales can be trained and improved with the right techniques in the sales process. Here are four primary aspects of tonality.
- Inflection: How you change your voice pitch can help make certain words or phrases more enthusiastic or empathetic.
- Emphasis: Using emphasis can help you stress specific words or phrases. For example, emphasizing the differentiating factors of your product so that the prospect can remember when evaluating competitors.
- Pace: Switching the pace of speaking can either demonstrate nervousness or disinterest. For example, the faster you speak, the more anxious a prospect may get. And they might seem like they’re being rushed. Conversely, a slow pace can show disinterest in the prospect.
- Modulation: Using your voice to show specific feelings such as happiness, excitement, anger, and empathy.
As you learned through the different aspects of tonality in sales, one important step is mimicking the prospect’s tone.
For example, if your prospect is exciting, you also want to show that tone because it helps build rapport and improve the conversation. Additionally, you don’t want to go too far with your tone because it can sound impersonal.
Sales reps leveraging the power of tone can gain an advantage and effectively achieve their sales numbers.
The different types of tonality in sales
There are different types of tonality that you can use in sales.
Research by Nielsen Norman Group found four core dimensions of tonality. Each dimension has a three-point scale, with neutral being the midpoint. Tone can fall anywhere of the spectrum for each dimension, between:
- Funny vs. serious
- Formal vs. casual
- Respectful vs. irreverent
- Enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact
Totality in sales has measurable qualities, and research has found that it also impacts customers.
There’s also subjectivity of each person; one person may find someone’s tone funny, whereas another may find it annoying. The goal is to understand who you’re speaking with to understand the right tone for them.
Techniques to improve your tonality in sales
If you want to improve your tonality, there are some techniques that you can use.
Sales reps often need help to convert prospects into meetings on cold calls. For example, sales reps will use cold call opening lines to improve effectiveness. But as we learned, it’s less about what you say and more about how you say it. This also applies to sales voicemails and prospecting videos too.
Fortunately, there are proven techniques to improve your tonality in sales.
1. Be aware of your tonality
This might seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many salespeople are unaware of how they sound on a call.
Pay attention to the inflection in your voice and the overall tone you are using.
If you sound bored or disinterested, your prospect will likely pick up on that and mirror your tonality. Conversely, if you sound excited and interested in what you’re saying, your prospect is more likely to respond positively.
2. Use pauses effectively
A well-placed pause can emphasize your words and make them more impactful. However, be careful not to overuse pauses, as that can make you sound nervous or unsure of yourself.
3. Vary your pitch
Using a variety of pitches can help keep your prospect engaged and make you sound more confident. Just be sure not to go too high or too low, as that can come across as either tentative or overbearing.
4. Use a script
Using a sales script can help alleviate nervousness because you have something to rely on.
A script helps you focus less on what to say so you can put more energy into your tone.
Once you’ve established an understanding and don’t need to rely on a script, your confidence will shine through your tone.
5. Prepare a sales call planner
Having a sales call planner enables you to come prepared for a sales meeting.
You’ll feel more confident when you’re more prepared because you’ve gone through your talking points.
In your pre-call planner, you can also write down which words or phrases to emphasize at certain points of the conversation.
6. Use an appropriate volume when speaking
You don’t want to shout, but you also don’t want to whisper. Find a happy medium that will allow your prospect to hear you clearly without feeling like you’re yelling.
7. Use positive language
Avoid using negative words or phrases, as that can negatively affect the tonality of your voice.
Instead, focus on using positive words and phrases that will help build rapport with your prospect.
8. Slow down your speaking
Speaking too quickly can interrupt your conversation’s flow for your prospect to understand you. By slowing down your speech, you’ll sound more confident and competent.
9. Enunciate your words
Mumbling or speaking too quietly can make it difficult for your prospect to understand you.
Make sure you’re speaking clearly and concisely, and avoid using slang or jargon that your prospect might not be familiar with.
10. Smile and dial
Smiling has been shown to positively affect the tonality of your voice, making you sound more friendly and approachable.
Next time you’re cold calling, try smiling on the phone.
Although your prospect will not see you, they’ll hear your tone, which will appear more friendly and personable.
Lastly, pay attention to your breath. When speaking, make sure you’re taking deep breaths from your diaphragm. This will help to project your voice and prevent you from sounding breathless.
Don’t forget to record your sales calls and do a review. You’ll be able to hear your tone and see what can be improved. Sales call recordings will make you aware of how you’re speaking.
When it comes to sales, tonality is a critical component of success. Following these ten tips can improve your tonality and increase your chances of closing more deals.
How to use the right tonality in sales calls
The right tonality can influence and help convey conviction during a sales call. You can use calls throughout a sales process in several ways, from the first call to a closed deal.
Here are four common examples of sales calls where tone can be used to improve customer relationships and successfully lead to the next step.
Cold call
You should use a confident and friendly tonality during a cold call.
The first 10-30 seconds of a cold call are critical because it helps you set the first impression. A confident, warm, and friendly tone will help get the customer’s attention. Additionally, your prospect will be more receptive to hearing your sales pitch,
Discovery call
You should use a friendly, confident, and curious tonality during a discovery call.
This will help you to build rapport with the customer and learn more about their needs. One significant aspect of a discovery call is asking questions that can come off as an interrogation if the tone is misused. You want to ensure your tone sounds curious and empathetic by having a calm and steady pace.
Demo walkthrough
During a demo walkthrough, you should use a clear, confident, and concise tonality.
This will help you explain your product’s features and benefits in a way that the customer can understand. The prospect will need to feel that you can address their pain points with your product. You’re better perceived as a consultant with solid business knowledge by having a confident tone.
Negotiations
You should have a confident, reasonable, and good-natured tonality during a negotiation.
The goal of a negotiation is for everyone to agree on the terms mutually. In doing so, conversations can become aggressive. Avoid sounding too defensive and passive. You want to sound confident by conveying the value of your product and justifying the cost.
Final thoughts on tone
The tone of your voice is an important part of sales.
It can set the mood for the entire conversation and make or break a sale. Using the right tonality can increase your chances of making a sale.
These techniques will help you sound more confident and persuasive when speaking with customers.
Have you tried using one of these techniques in your interactions?
