CAPS™ Skills helps advisors lead more productive conversations and achieve more of the results you expect. Experience has proven that whenever advisors use these skills correctly and in a timely manner, progress is always made toward communication objectives.
Traditional sales training focuses on the art of asking appropriate questions and “Closing” the sale when sufficient information has been solicited. This method of communication generally fails to reliably build trust and long-lasting client relationships. There is a better way. When new or experienced advisors add proven communication skills they experience immediate and sustained productivity improvement.
The CAPS™ model is proven to get your advisors from wherever they are to wherever they need to be in prospecting, sales or service conversations. That means with CAPS™ they can continue to use your current systems.
The large rectangle in the diagram represents the most important skill in the CAPS™ Learning System. The success of every one of the Skills depends on your advisors to LISTEN and EVALUATE the attitude of each prospect.
Receiving Messages
Many leaders, managers, and advisors begin conversations by receiving a message. The Diamonds in the Overview diagram describe four “Attitudes” expressed in conversations. CAPS™ attendees learn to identify each of them correctly and adopt the appropriate Skill to guide a productive conversation. Throughout the training attendees learn how to Listen and Evaluate the attitude of others and Adopt and Demonstrate the appropriate CAPS™ Skill to achieve their communication objectives.
Sending Messages The Transition Skill is used to organize and plan an initial approach and move from one objective to the next. Many persuasive conversations are initiated by an Advisor or Recruiter and most successful Advisors and Recruiters use proven ways to qualify their Prospects. They form Transitions based on Observations, Referrals, Probing and Previous Contacts.
Probing means using questions to determine what your advisors need to know about another’s concerns and attitudes. Attendees learn that relating the Prospect’s answers to the benefits of your solutions is just as important as the questions they ask. Advisors also learn to overcome Indifference and Objections by using the Probing Skill. Your Advisors learn how to make progress toward their objectives whenever the Prospect expresses either of these attitudes.
Closing doesn’t just happen at end of a persuasive conversation when the Advisor asks a Prospect to buy. It also occurs whenever he or she attempts to Confirm Agreement with the Prospect on the matter under discussion. After the Advisor has “Closed”, he or she can stay connected to the Prospect as he or she guides the conversation to the Next Objective, using what he or she knows about the Prospect to make another Transition.
Responding to Messages
Supporting means using agreement to communicate and reinforce Acceptance of features and benefits. Attendees learn when and how to adopt this powerful communication skill. Your Advisors learn to offer Support after their Prospects have Accepted a Transition and when a Prospect responds favorably to a Probe. After an Advisor offers Support, he or she needs to Listen to the Prospect and Evaluate the response. If the Prospect responds with an attitude of Acceptance the Advisor learns to adopt the Supporting Skill again.
When the advisor is satisfied the Prospect is in Agreement he or she learns to respond by Closing and moving to the Next Objective.
Proving Skill: If a Prospect expresses Doubt that your product provides a benefit, your Advisors must know how to assure him or her that the claims about the product are justifiable. Often, failure to provide acceptable proof prevents further progress in the conversation. Neither the advisor nor the prospect achieves the results they want. Attendees learn how to overcome Doubt using acceptable proof sources.
Your Advisors are not asked to memorize any scripts. Instead, they learn the three parts of each of Skill. This means they can immediately use CAPS™ with existing systems and tools and you benefit because you can leverage past investments to get better results now and in the future.
