Personalizing Communication with Clients in Sales

I just watched a rep lose a HIGH 6 figure deal in the first 5 minutes. Not because of price. Not because of product fit. Because of tonality. Here's what happened: Prospect: "Hi, nice to meet you. Just finished walking my dog..." Rep: "Great. What business priority brought you here today?" Prospect: "Um... we're just looking at options..." Call went downhill from there. The problem: Some reps have only one communication style. For instance: Direct and aggressive. But 60% of prospects need a softer approach to open up. Here's the framework I teach top performers: 1) Read the prospect in 30 seconds Fast talker, "let's cut to the chase" = match their energy Slow speaker, relationship-focused = dial it down 2) Adjust your questions accordingly Instead of: "Who's the decision maker?" Try: "Typically when companies evaluate new solutions, it involves a few people. In your organization, who would usually be part of that process?" Same information. Completely different response rate. 3) Practice the uncomfortable Yes, it feels fake at first. Your brain says "this isn't me." But you're not being disingenuous. You're adapting your communication style to connect better. The drill: Record yourself asking 5 discovery questions at different tonality levels for 20 minutes daily. Level 10 = drill sergeant Level 5 = curious colleague Level 2 = supportive friend When reps master tonality… Discovery calls run 40% longer Prospects share sensitive information earlier Close rates increase 30%+ One of my clients went from 23% to 31% close rate just by softening her delivery on budget and stakeholder questions. You can have the best discovery framework in the world, but if your tonality shuts prospects down, none of it matters. Sales leaders: This is coachable. Shadow your reps' calls and listen for tonality mismatches. Role-play different prospect personalities in team meetings. The reps who master this skill connect with every buyer type and consistently hit quota. P.S. DM me if you want to install this in your teams.

You’re missing one of your customer’s most important goals. You know to capture the company goals: reduce costs, drive revenue, increase efficiency. That’s good. That’s essential. But the company isn’t the one you work with every week. A person is.  • Your executive sponsor.  • Your admin champion.  • Your day-to-day point of contact. And guess what? They have goals too.  • They want to look good.  • They want a win they can put on their resume.  • They want to move up, or over, or out, and your project is a vehicle for that. If you help them 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 win, you won’t just retain the account — you’ll gain a true champion. Here’s how: 𝟭. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀. “What are you personally trying to accomplish long term? Where are you trying to get at [company]?” 𝟮. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. “Here’s the success we saw because of Sarah’s leadership with ___, ____, and ____.” 𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀. Use your QBR slides to help them present results to their execs, offer to help role play their presentation to their internal team an provide feedback. If you make your customer contact the star, your solution becomes the secret weapon behind their success. And when they win, you win too. How do you help your customer contacts advance their careers? #customersuccess

If your clients had a dating profile…what would their 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 be? 💘 We’ve all heard of love languages (words of affirmation, quality time, etc.) but here’s the truth: 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼. And if you don’t know how they define value, then all your “best practices” will miss the mark. You’ll send the wrong follow-up. Build the wrong pitch. When clients feel like you don’t get them… they hesitate. they delay. they churn. Which leads to the renewal dying or the scope quietly disappearing. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟱 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀? 𝟭/ 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲) ↳ “Don’t tell me you care. Show me what you’ve fixed.” This client values action over promises - traction, initiative, and impact without having to ask. Ways to Win Them Over: ↳ Identify and tackle pain points fast ↳ Share updates without waiting for them to ask ↳ Keep things moving even in the gray zones 𝟮/ 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗴𝗼 (𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀) ↳ “I’ll trust you when I see the data.” They build trust through evidence (metrics, case studies, and concrete results). Ways to Win Them Over: ↳ Show previous success in similar projects ↳ Build dashboards or reports tailored to their KPIs ↳ Ditch vague claims—back everything up 𝟯/ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) ↳ “Make me feel like the visionary I’m trying to be.” It’s not just about executing the project it’s about showing that you understand their goals, pressures, and ambitions. Ways to Win Them Over: ↳ Personalize your approach with their language and KPIs ↳ Align deliverables to their broader vision ↳ Be a co-strategist, not a task-taker 𝟰/ 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 (𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲) ↳ “Show me you care by making space for real conversation.” This client craves high-touch engagement: collaboration, discussion, and having a thought partner they can build with. Ways to Win Them Over: ↳ Schedule touchpoints with purpose ↳ Use meetings to ask—not just report ↳ Invite them into your thought process 𝟱/ 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 – 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹) ↳ “If I have to chase you, it’s already a no.” This client wants everything to just work. Efficiency, clarity, and no surprises are the name of the game. Ways to Win Them Over: ↳ Overcommunicate logistics, underdeliver chaos ↳ Build workflows that reduce friction ↳ Make the client feel like it’s being handled even behind the scenes Reminder: It’s not enough to deliver great work. You have to deliver it in the way your client feels and understands as valuable. Learn their language. Adapt your engagement. Watch retention, referrals, and renewal rates rise. ::::::::::::::::::: I’m building a quiz to help you identify your client’s value language — want early access? Comment “QUIZ” and I’ll send it your way first.

The #1 mistake I see in client relationships? (It took me years to learn this) Confusing contact with connection. Most professionals think staying “top of mind” means constant contact. So they: ❌ Send generic check-ins. ❌ Ask for meetings without clear value. ❌ Share the same articles everyone else does. Then wonder why response rates keep dropping. 20+ years in client relationships has taught me: The best way to stay memorable? Show up as someone who genuinely cares about them  (and their success). Instead of asking: ❌ “How do I stay visible?” Ask: ✅ “How do I show I care?” Here are my favorite 6 ways to show you care: 1. Spot Opportunities They Might Miss ↳ Share competitor moves and market shifts before  they hear it elsewhere. 2. Be Their Connector ↳ Introduce them to people who can help them grow. 3. Offer Insights They Can Use Immediately ↳ Send relevant research they can apply right now. 4. Celebrate Their Successes ↳ Spotlight their wins like they’re your own. 5. Invite Them Into Your World ↳ Include them in events and conversations that matter. 6. Check In With a Personal Touch ↳ Reach out with no agenda, just genuine care. Here’s the truth: Most people only show up when they want something. Top performers show up because they genuinely care. Because they know when someone’s ready to buy, they don’t research who’s available. They call those who’ve already proven they care. Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

10 Ways to Show Up for Your Customers Most businesses lose people after the first step. Why? Because they don’t make people feel seen. And when people don’t feel seen, they don’t come back. Here’s what usually happens: → Messages get missed → Questions go unanswered → Trust fades fast And just like that, the customer disappears. But when someone gives you their attention, every message is your chance to show them they matter. Here’s how to get it right at every touchpoint: 1. Reply within 24 hours ↳ Set up friendly auto-responses that include their name. ↳ Then let your team take over when it’s time to go deeper. 2. Confirm what they can expect next ↳ Expectations remove anxiety. ↳ Tell them what happens next and when they'll hear from you again. 3. Send a check-in mid-project ↳ You don't need to wait for a problem to reach out. ↳ Quick updates keep the relationship strong, even if it's just a "we're on track" message. 4. Reduce steps in your delivery ↳ Make the process smooth and simple. ↳ The less they have to click, chase, or explain, the better. 5. Personalize your automation ↳ Automation should reflect empathy, not erase it. ↳ Use their name, goals, and small details to make them feel seen. 6. Call out specific progress ↳ Saying "everything's great" isn't enough. ↳ Be detailed. It shows you're invested in their journey. 7. Answer every open question ↳ Unanswered questions make people feel ignored. ↳ "I don't know yet, but I'll find out" earns trust. 8. Provide a clear wrap-up ↳ Leave people with clarity. ↳ Recap wins, next steps, and what they can come back to you for. 9. Follow up 7-14 days later ↳ Showing up after transactions turns clients into loyal fans. ↳ A small "How are things going?" is more powerful than you think. 10. Leave behind something useful ↳ A resource, recommendation, or personalized offer. ↳ It doesn't have to be flashy, it just needs to be thoughtful. Every message, interaction, and detail adds up. When you get the formula right, you'll make every customer feel like a million dollars. What's one small thing you do that makes customers feel seen? ________________ ♻️ Repost to pass this along to folks who'd appreciate it! ➕ If you like what I share, go ahead and follow Lise Kuecker!