Why Salespeople Need to Know the Different Learning Styles

Have you heard of VAK? If you’re a sales professional, you should know it well. VAK is a Learning Styles Model first developed in the 1920s to classify how people commonly learn. VAK stands for the three styles, and they’re easy to remember:

• Visual – A person who is a Visual-Dominant Learner will take in and retain information better when it is presented in a visual way. This may mean the use of photos, diagrams, charts, or writing key points down during a meeting on a whiteboard.
• Auditory – An Auditory-Dominant Learner generally prefers to listen to the information being presented. He or she may also like to repeat key details aloud or recap the discussion in order to hear it again.
• Kinesthetic – A Kinesthetic-Dominant Learner would prefer a physical experience more than looking at visuals or listening to a speaker. This person may want to hold an object or a sample as part of a “hands-on” experience.

Understanding how different people take in information is like unlocking the secret to better communicating with them. When you’re in a meeting with a prospect, you can look for cues as to their learning style. Someone who is a kinesthetic learner may be more physical, as in placing a hand on your shoulder or strongly shaking your hand with both of theirs. An auditory learner may say things like, “That sounds good, but I’d like to hear from some of your current clients.” A visual learner may ask you for a report or some samples. If you take in these cues, you can be one step ahead of the prospect, tailoring the words and phrases you use to help meet their needs.

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