Listening More to Sell More

HERE’S THE REALITY: IF YOU TALK MORE THAN YOU LISTEN THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU WILL EVER SELL AS MUCH AS YOU ARE CAPABLE OF SELLING!

Why you ask? Here’s the answer: It is impossible to talk and listen at the same time. A majority of salespeople invest more time in sales presentations making sales statements than they do listening and probing. You can’t be more concerned about selling your product or service than you are about helping your customer buy. Many salespeople believe that it is their responsibility to talk during sales presentations and that “dead air” is theirs to fill. The frustration of repeated contacts with no response have led to the belief that they should seize the opportunity when it presents itself regardless of how much time they take and how much they talk. They are going to get their sales message out! This ineffective method is the result of a lack of planning and preparation.

Effective listening means increased sales. Here are six steps that you can take to improve your listening skills immediately:

Consistently practice the listen 80% and talk 20% formula.
Work to understand the customer’s agenda and plan your questions correctly. Your emphasis should be on getting information.
Practice listening in every situation and it will be a more natural process during sales presentations or customer interactions.
Develop a natural curiosity and probe for what is and isn’t said.
Consistently practice the use of the words “could you please tell me…”
Move from passive listening to active listening. Passive listening leaves you considering the what of the customer’s concern or problem. Active listening moves you to the why of the customer’s concern or problem.

When you combine effective listening with effective questioning, you are creating a communication process that allows you to plan your next steps with greater understanding. It is this understanding that leads to outstanding sales performance!