Business communication is based not only on maintaining official interaction and defending business interests. Creating a friendly atmosphere, friendly and emotional ties is also necessary and important. Compliment is simple and universal remedy to quickly achieve the favor of a vis-a-vis and a pleasant emotional background any conversation, even business. It is enough to understand the tasks to be solved and choose the right tone.

Compliment Rules

A compliment is a universal verbal device that has no gender preferences or attitudes.

A compliment is a verbal genre that performs the task of establishing contact and pleasant psychological background of the conversation. It consists in naming important personal qualities of a person, his skills or decisions taken, a compliment is our praise of the real merits of a person. It is important to name exactly the feature that struck or that you want to highly appreciate.

There is a stereotype that a compliment acts as a purely masculine means of courting ladies, but this is far from being the case.

Note!!! Do not confuse compliment and flattery. Flattery is gross exaggeration for the purpose of manipulation. A compliment never aims to deceive the interlocutor or influence his behavior. His super-goal is an atmosphere of benevolence, and the task is to express his personal interest in communication.

A compliment is a universal verbal device that has no gender preferences or attitudes. There is no compliment and restrictions in the scope of use. Both in personal and business communication, it is appropriate and fruitful, subject to four basic rules:

• sincerity and factuality: only truthful and sincere admiration, praise will sound and be perceived naturally and harmoniously,
• originality and specificity: there are some common words, clichés and templates for compliments, but they need to be presented in a non-banal, tactful way and naming the real qualities of this particular person,
• appropriateness: the right tone, the right words, the right moment, the right situation can give a compliment a delicate frame, and bad ones can turn it into a stupid and untimely statement,
• lack of didactics and ambiguity: it is important to specifically formulate praise, avoiding ambiguous interpretation and not continuing it with moralizing.

The ability to accept a compliment is also part of successful communication. To do this, it is enough to answer with a nod of the head, an open smile or the words “Thank you”.

Another productive setting is in no case to make excuses for a compliment if it turned out or seemed not entirely successful.

By the way... A successful compliment can also be used in a conversation with an initially unfriendly partner: subconsciously sincere praise and open admiration cause a feeling of satisfaction in any interlocutor.

The algorithm for constructing a compliment can be based on three techniques:

A compliment in a business environment is essentially and general principles no different from personal

• direct naming: You have an office in a great location! I admire (amaze) how well you chose the location of the office in this area of ​​the city. In this case, the compliment is more straightforward and sounds unambiguous and frank.
• indirect compliment: Only a person with excellent strategic thinking could choose a place in such a promising area of ​​the city! In this version, the phrase is built not so directly, however, such a technique may seem too intricate, ornate and emphatically neat to the counterpart.
• self comparison: Wonderful place! I wouldn't have guessed build your office here some 5 years ago. It usually looks like a manipulative, straightforwardly elevating the interlocutor and belittling himself, so its use is inappropriate in conversations between unequal partners.

Topics for compliments

A compliment in a business environment, in essence and general principles, does not differ from a personal one, but differs significantly in content. The topics of communication between business partners, between employees and colleagues, or between a marketer and a client most often become purely business things - profit, sales, terms of the transaction, time, place of the nearest meetings, plans for the future. Therefore, business qualities and features of decision-making in this field of activity can become objects for praise.

Compliments to business partners regardless of gender

• punctuality: It's nice to cooperate with punctual partners!
• managerial abilities, efficiency in decision-making, literacy in paperwork, fulfillment of obligations are necessary requirements for partners, but praise in these areas may be quite appropriate: I am pleased with your promptness in resolving this issue: you have excellent mechanisms within the company.
• You always look cheerful and fit, I admire people with such a love of life.
• good place to meet: How well you chose the meeting place: a convenient way from my office, good parking, a cozy restaurant. You are a skilled tactician!
• expensive and comfortable office or office: A wonderful office and a magical view from the window - you have great taste!

In business, nationality, subordination, and gender differences sometimes limit the scope for compliments.

Compliments to female business partners

Compliments to female business partners

• appearance or demeanor: You are a real business woman! You always manage to create a beautiful, holistic image of a business woman!
• a compliment to the details of appearance - hairstyle, manicure, accessories and wardrobe details - sounds appropriate from the lips of a woman, however, a man can also praise what seems to him exceptional and successful: I am always amazed by your original manicure! As you can see, you have a wonderful manicurist!
• cabinet interior: You have a great atmosphere here: the flowers look amazing!

Compliments to clients

Such compliments are called professional, they are used in direct sales, when it is necessary to quickly draw attention to yourself, quickly and emotionally give the conversation a positive and pleasant tone. Therefore, compliments in marketing can turn out to be exaggerated, sometimes more formulaic:

• choice of service or product: You have a trained eye: this smartphone is one of the best in this category!
• appearance and demeanor: You look very young and perky in this hat! You feel so much dignity and self-respect!
• features of a home or office environment: Here you feel comfortable, everything is thought out and executed with good taste.

In addition, the important components of a compliment: the ability to see hidden (non-obvious, but pleasant to the interlocutor) qualities and ultimate personality, that is, the personification of a compliment - it is necessary to praise exactly what the person considers important for himself.

Do not forget! The compliment should be short, but clear and unambiguous. It is also desirable to help a person accept this compliment: you can observe the reaction to a compliment and supplement it if the interlocutor wants to prolong the pleasure of pleasant words or clarify his thought.

A skillful compliment requires some skill and skill, in the business sphere you will also need a sense of tact and psychological skill, but its competent use will facilitate negotiation, evoke positive emotions and add elegance and lightness to any business communication.

Video: Valery Bo - How to compliment

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Sales Sweeteners - The Compliment Technique

One of the new tools that we can actively use in sales with a client is a set of sweeteners or so-called compliments. The thing is that virtually every person simply loves to be praised.

It is this tool that allows you to focus the client’s attention not on the product or service that the sales manager or salesperson is trying to sell, but on his favorite one. experienced sellers, and of course professional managers.

Let's try to understand why we try to include this technique in almost everyone?

At first glance it would seem that it is very easy to use this technique and it will not take much effort to close up a compliment to the client. But the thing is that every person is well aware that they are simply trying to flatter him, thereby inducing him to a quick purchase.

This is why the “sales sweeteners” tool needs to be used in disguise and at the right time. At the training, we practice working with this tool until the manager has a complete feeling of mastering this technique to the fullest. So, we have already noted that this sales technique should be used professionally.

In order for your managers each time we didn’t compose such “sales sweeteners” for the client, we developed ready-made scripts and cases in which everything is already there. The technique is successfully used in, warm, and sales on the trading floor. Let's try to explain how this tool works with an example:

Manager calling a customer on the phone

- You know, you are the first person who listened to me without interrupting, if only there were more professional HR (or managers, employees) like you in our country. It's true, believe me, I've talked to many.

-If you work in a company like X (brand is a large, well-known company), then this indicates that you have been chosen as the best of the best, and therefore if you give advice on how to cooperate and what is needed for this, I will do my best perhaps even what is not.

Depending on who exactly You are talking on the phone You are using and applying ready-made delicious sales sweetener templates. But at what time they can and should be used, with what intonation, timbre and interest, unfortunately, it is not possible to describe technically in this article, but you can definitely find out at the training. From these examples, you sort of compare and single out your potential interlocutor. Let's look at an example of using a “sales sweetener”, for example, by a clothes salesman in a store.

Seller communicating with a buyer

- You know, I didn't even doubt that you would immediately take this particular product (pants, a skirt, a suit, etc.), we see buyers with good taste right away. It is pleasant to work with such clients, you get pleasure that the client is in trend.

With a very simple move, you were able to distinguish your customer from the general mass, which means that you have satisfied the most desired need today - the lack of personal attention. So, Dear friends The “sales sweetener” tool was first developed by a speaker/business coach – Igor Puzikov. Everything using ready-made expressions is copyrighted, which means we are monopolists in this novelty in the field of active sales.

Let's recap, the compliment technique, "sales sweeteners", should be used deliberately at a certain time and strictly already written and ready.

This new tool allows it is advantageous to distinguish your staff from employees of similar companies. And if you are significantly different, it means that your employees are destined to sell as many goods and services as possible. Good luck with your sales, find out, write and call us.

You can give yourself “5+” if you managed to say an appropriate compliment in the first minute of communication with a client. The key to success in sales is maintaining a sense of self-importance and importance in the client.

In every person there is something that he is sincerely proud of, but which he prefers not to talk about. When people guess and say it out loud, it's a compliment.

At the initial stages of establishing contact, the most effective means for this is compliment.

A compliment is an underlining of positive points:

• in appearance,
• behavior
• client environment,

Which cause your sincere admiration.

Start contact with a client with a compliment,

and end with a commitment to make a purchase!!!

TYPES OF COMPLIMENTS:

· "direct - indirect" In direct compliments, there is a direct mention of the merits of a person or what he does (“You look great!”, “This hairstyle really suits you!”), an indirect compliment - happens indirectly, through something, in an indirect way (“You are a very pleasant conversationalist”)

· "open - with cover" An open compliment does not hide itself, moreover, it attracts attention and emphasizes itself ("You have to give credit to your taste"), a compliment with a cover - distracts attention from oneself, switches attention to something else ("What a cool figure you have! Do you have it by nature or do you play sports?").

Sound channel impact is characterized by timbre, pitch of voice, tempo and rhythm of speech. To some extent, at this stage, the statement is true: "It does not matter, what you say it's important how ". Thus, the speed of uttering the greeting and the intonations used at the same time to a large extent form the background of further communication.

A characteristic manifestation excitement at the stage of establishing contact is unnecessarily fast speech. One of the effective recommendations is to deliberately slow down the pace of the first phrases of a conversation with a client. Try to use it though. intimate and confidential intonations. These intonations occur when we speak slowly and in a low voice.

Stage II. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

At this stage, questions are the main tool of the seller. All the information obtained at this stage will later be useful for the presentation of the product.

By asking questions and listening to the answers, you find intersection points your commercial offer (product) with the interests of the client.

FIVE REASONS TO ASK A CUSTOMER QUESTIONS

· To engage the client in a conversation.

· To make the client feel important.

· To understand the needs and desires of the client.

· To determine the real needs of the client and assess his readiness to purchase

· For possible objections

The main tools for this are questioning techniques and active listening techniques. Ask the right questions and actively listen.

Mastery The SELLER at this stage is the ability to listen and ask the right questions. The art of asking questions is something that most salespeople don't master.

At this stage, the seller's task is to quickly assess the client's readiness to make a purchase.

Client readiness is a combination of three factors:

1. awareness of the need, I WANT
2. availability of financial resources, ISU
3. information about the brands that you offer (product). NECESSARY

There is a sequence of questions through which such an evaluation strategy is implemented.

When asking questions, you need to find out:

WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE SELLER NEED

1. What does the client want?

2. What does he know about you?

3. Does the client have the opportunity to buy a complex (several units per check)?

4. What are the criteria his choice?

5. what the client beware?

6. Who, besides the customer, makes the purchasing decision?

7. Does it compare he you with others?

8. How will he pay?

All questions can be divided into 2 categories:

closed and open .

During the sales process, both open and closed questions should be asked.

CLOSED QUESTIONS

Closed questions are structured so that the choice of possible answers of the client is limited to two words "yes" or "no". Closed questions limit the scope of possible answers. The fact that this is a question, and not a statement, can sometimes be understood only by interrogative intonation.

Example:

"Do you have a discount card?"

"Do you like these jeans?"

Closed questions is partly an indirect test of our hypotheses about the client.

Benefit:

1. When you ask closed questions, you control situation.

2. Closed questions allow quickly get the information you need from the client.

Risk:

Closed questions are high-risk questions. So in retail sales, the situation is widespread when, at the entrance of a client, the seller asks: "Is there anything you can help with?". In the vast majority of cases, the client answers: "No", even if he needs help. There are many reasons for this. One of the main ones is that people do not want to take on any obligations when answering questions.

Advice:

At the initial and final stages of the sales process, it is not recommended to ask closed questions, since the seller may hear an undesirable “no” for some of them.

Recently I met my old friend Nadezhda, once upon a time we worked together as sellers. At that time I was much more experienced and soon I was promoted and our paths diverged. Hope was not remembered by me then as a strong salesman and vivid emotions she did not call, the usual "gray mouse". But after talking with her for 15 minutes, I was surprised at the changes that had taken place. Nadia was simply unrecognizable, secure, self-sufficient and very confident, she evoked sympathy. And the whole secret of change is in simple reception sales is a compliment. Nadezhda admitted to me that her life changed a lot after she began to compliment everyone.

Why compliments are needed

I often come across the fact that people in general and sellers in particular do not attach much importance to compliments in life. But there are not so many such simple and at the same time effective methods. It is not for nothing that one of the first things that a pickup artist masters is the art of giving compliments. This trick helps a lot.

In order for the sellers to believe in compliments, divide them into groups of 3-4 people and ask each participant to give 1 compliment to all members of the group. The effect is amazing, the employees' mood will rise, self-confidence will appear, self-esteem will improve. Agree, these are important things for anyone.

Correctly pronouncing a compliment, we deliver a special kind of pleasure to the interlocutor. Many are so addicted to compliments (praise) that they are willing to do anything for the pleasure. In life there are people who neglect their own interests for the sake of approval and praise. Although it is worth noting that there are people who react with caution to compliments. In order for a compliment to be guaranteed to work, you must follow some rules for its use.

Compliment Rules

There are a number of simple rules for using compliments, following which you will always succeed.

1. A compliment should not be ambiguous.
2. The interlocutor must agree with the compliment. For example, if you tell an inexperienced driver that he is experienced, most likely he will not believe your words.
3. Without strong exaggerations of qualities. There is no need to greatly embellish the qualities of a person, this will also cause distrust and make you doubt your sincerity.
4. A compliment should not be banal for the interlocutor. For example beautiful girls several times a day they say how beautiful they are and such a compliment is not of great value to her.
5. The compliment should be as specific as possible. If you tell a man that you admire his mind, then you should explain what specifically impressed you. The more specific the compliment, the more truthful it is in the eyes of the interlocutor.
6. The compliment should be brief, do not make a long monologue describing the dignity of the interlocutor.
7. Consider the gender and age of the interlocutor. A man should not be told that he looks good, for him it is not such a big value as intelligence or social status.
8. Smile while giving a compliment. If you speak with a sour face, then no one will believe you.

Compliment to establish contact

V Lately salespeople are increasingly being taught how to give compliments at the contact-making stage. This technique allows you to quickly establish a trusting relationship. It is important to understand here that the person who gives the compliment satisfies a very important need for social recognition, support and positive emotions. Such interlocutors are always welcome and you want to continue communication with them, regardless of the goals.

When selling, it is even easier to pronounce complements than when communicating. You can use "homemade". Write down and learn 20 compliments that will be applicable to your specifics, start using, the result will not keep you waiting long.

Training is the key to success

Practice complimenting daily, it should become a habit. You will begin to enjoy people's reactions to compliments. Don't think it's very easy, making accurate compliments that don't turn into flattery is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, you will have to change your view of the environment. Many people are used to noticing flaws and not seeing virtues. This is shifted to himself, often a person cannot describe his own merits and compliment himself. It is when you can change your outlook on yourself and on life that you will get the maximum change.

The right compliments in business can be very appropriate! It would seem: what can a business have in common with a compliment? How can money be associated with polite attention, sincere praise, and recognition of achievement?

People - that's what inextricably connects these concepts. A person is at the “helm” of any transnational corporation, and a person is at the head of the state, and a person is also in command of the army, and all of us people really want our merits to be noticed, recognized and sometimes rewarded with even just attention. It is to this great purpose that His Majesty the Compliment serves.

Modern people, alas, have forgotten how to give the right compliments. It's a pity, it's a pity that the ability to speak beautiful words, compliments are largely lost, and even pathetic attempts to do this sound less and less. But in vain ... after all, since ancient times, people have noticed how beneficial a compliment can change the course of diplomatic negotiations, how it brings interlocutors together, how it gives strength and support in life. There was a time when the education system included compulsory training in polite and courteous communication, the ability to compliment people. A diligent student could easily express deep approval without uttering a word, but only slightly nodding, or he could envelop a person without ever lying or pointing directly at the hero.

Where are these masters now and are there any such masters in our time? Rest assured there are! But they are in no hurry to share their secrets, leaving this privilege for themselves, for the elite. And indeed, it turns out that it’s not so easy to say a compliment correctly, and sometimes it’s even very difficult. This art needs to be learned.

Today we will open the veil of secrecy and everyone will be able to master the basics of creating a dish called the “correct compliment”. You can feel the full power of this “product” only when you start using it.

First of all, let's clarify what a compliment is.

(fr. compliment) - this is a skillfully emphasized some existing dignity of the interlocutor, a special form of praise, an expression of approval, respect, recognition or admiration; kind, pleasant words. (http://ru.wikipedia.org) Exquisite compliments - a simple but powerful tool. They help set a good relationship with other people. They are said for various reasons, but they are all usually enjoyable and self-esteem boosting.

The main enemy of a compliment is Flattery - the praise of non-existent, unfairly attributed positive qualities to the addressee, hypocrisy, obsequious praise, false exaggeration of the interlocutor's significance for the purpose of deception.

Pleasant compliments, namely compliments, and not exquisitely packaged flattery, will help to establish unbreakable contact with the most fastidious customer or intractable partner. The most gloomy disposition is softened under its influence and the ice of alienation is melted.

The Right Compliments

To begin with, we will focus on how to give compliments correctly. We study 4 main types of compliments:

1) Direct compliment

Praise the personal qualities of the interlocutor: beauty, strength, abilities, habits, character traits, business qualities, etc. - i.e. something that belongs to this particular person.

Examples:

Your thoroughness is our insurance against any errors in calculations.

Unfortunately, not everyone can navigate the terrain as well as you ...

I wonder where they teach such restraint and calmness as you do?

2) Indirect compliment

Praise not the person himself, but what belongs to him or is important, expensive, long-awaited for him: a car, a hobby, a company where he works, its successes, fame, etc.

Examples:

Always wanted to have such a car, ever popular brand.

B O I saw the largest collection of coins only in the Paris Museum

It is a great honor for us to work with such a well-known enterprise as yours.

3) Criticism + Praise

We give the interlocutor a small "MINUS", and then a large "PLUS".

Examples:

Although you write slowly, but without a single mistake.

Despite raising your prices, we are very pleased with the impeccable quality of the work performed.

You refused to follow the safe, proven path, and surprisingly found a shortcut.

4) Comparison:

Make a "compliment against the background of the anti-complement to yourself."

Examples:

You were able to assess the situation on the market faster than we

You managed to do in three days what we spent a week on.

I'll probably never be able to drive like you.

WARNING: refrain from excessive exaggeration, be sincere and objective so as not to cross the fine line between a real compliment and flattery.

People are so arranged that even in the worst of them there is always something good. Find it and say it out loud. You will hear not only words of gratitude for the compliment. Believe me, they will like it and they will want to become even better, at least a little bit.