In today’s multi-cultural society, many of us are conducting new home sales presentations in foreign languages.  But are we fully leveraging our language skills to achieve the best results?

by Adam Greenfader

 

Just imagine that “Google Translate” your new sales person during the regular course of a presentation asks the customer,   “Out of curiosity, what is the length you are looking for new homes?”  The question would immediately create an “awkward moment”.    Who says that?  The word “length” might be interpreted as the size of the home, distance, or even something to do with abstract views.

After “adapting” to this very strange sentence, the customer would probably figure out that the correct phrase (which is a direct translation from Spanish) means, “Just curious, how long you have been looking at new homes?”. The key word here is adaptation. Adaptation is more than just using words, but using the correct words. The adaptation of our language as to nuance is critical to our success in life as well as in new home sales.

In our Official New Home Sales Development Systemsm, we discuss in detail the importance of using precise, powerful, and picture painting words.  When a sales presentation is translated from one language to another, say from English to Spanish, the same rules apply. Both the grammar and adaptation must be absolutely correct.   As we instantly translate a sentence from one language to another, it might make sense to us, (like it does for Google Translate), but it probably is not being adapted to its “highest and best use”. In other words, we might be able to translate the words so they have meaning, but are not fully leveraging their true potential to create emotional involvement, a strategy that is of paramount importance in making the personal connection in the sales process.

Results of our training have proven that for bi-lingual sales professionals ,sales training is most effective when it is presented,  led and coached in both (or all) of the languages being used in the sales arena. Our extensive research has shown that people also learn faster, and best, when taught and practiced in their native, or maternal language.  As the global leader in innovative new home sales training, management systems and profit management resources we at i-NHSS have adapted our award winning Official New Home Sales Development System® into Spanish.

For more information on how we can help you leverage your foreign language presentations, please contact us at www.i-nhss.com, or call 561-368-1151