People who talk themselves out of sales do a vast majority of the talking and a minority of the listening. But people who use their brains instead of their mouths do a vast majority of the listening and a minority of the talking during the Probe step.
Listening is a skill that can be learned and can also be continuously improved, but most of us have never been trained to listen. For example, which do we do most during the day, read or listen? Most of us generally listen more than we read, yet how many listening skills have we been taught?
Here are some pointers that can help you sharpen your listening skills:
· Open your mind and ears – be receptive to the messages the person is giving.
· Start listening from the first word and give the person your undivided attention.
· Focus on what is being said. Avoid trying to figure out what the person is going to say; you may miss what he or she actually says.
· Don’t try to read your own meanings into what you think the person is saying. Actively assist the other person in conveying his or her meanings accurately to you.
· Never interrupt! It cuts off the flow of dialog. Besides, it’s offensive and rude.
· Use questions to encourage people to talk and to clarify your understanding of what they mean.
· Make notes of important points. Look for connections between apparently isolated remarks.
· Control outside interruptions and distractions.
· Get your whole body involved in listening and show that you are paying attention. Look the person squarely in one eye, and use facial expressions and gestures to show that you hear and understand what’s being said.
· Stay cool! Don’t overreact to highly charged words and tones. Hear the person out then respond. Most people will cool down and begin to talk calmly once their anger and frustrations are vented.
Remember, your objective is to listen your prospect into buying, not merely to “get your two cents worth in.”
