Sales/Marketing Strategies
Written by Bill Brooks
on 05/2003 - Word Count: 990
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It is a commonly known fact that when you listen intently to what someone is telling you, you are going to have a much more positive reaction when it is your turn to be heard. Unfortunately, salespeople seem to forget this all-important fact when they are attempting to convey the value of their product to their prospect.
Actively listening to your prospect not only increases the effectiveness of the interaction between you and your prospect, it also greatly increases your chance of making the sale. When you actively listen to the prospect, you are better able to understand that prospect's needs, and in turn, you are then even better able to express the ways in which your product or service can benefit the prospect.
There are ten tips that can help you to be a better active listener. If you pay attention and actively internalize these tips, then you are already on your way to improving your sales skills.
The first tip is to open your mind and ears. You should switch off all negative thoughts and feelings about the person and be receptive to the messages he or she is giving. Don't allow your opinion of that person to interfere with your chances of eventually closing the sale. Perhaps you find the manner in which the person dresses or speaks to be distasteful. Don't let your disdain show itself, because you may not get past the first few minutes of your conversation.
The next tip is to listen from the first sentence. You need to temporarily put aside or forget whatever it is that you're preoccupied with at the time of your interaction. If you do appear preoccupied, then your prospect will know it and will surely feel unimportant. Trust me, any prospect who feels unimportant to a salesperson will take his or her business elsewhere.
Analyze what is being said. Don't ever try to figure out what the prospect is going to say. You should pay attention to exactly what the prospect is saying at that given moment. Even the slowest listeners can think faster than the fastest talkers. Again, think only about what is being said at the given time.
Really listen, don't just not talk. This tip means that you should not only appear to be listening...you should actively assist the prospect in conveying his or her message. While your silence may cause you to appear to be listening, the prospect may begin to feel as if you are not truly listening if you do not give some sort of feedback to that which they're saying.
The fifth tip, never interrupt, but always be interruptible, is invaluable. Interrupting your prospect is not only rude, but is also very damaging to your chances of making the sale.
Another extremely positive aspect of this tip involves the fact that your allowing the prospect to feel that he or she is able to interrupt you is quite conducive to a feeling resembling a bond between you and the prospect. Since you allow the prospect to interrupt what you are saying, you appear to truly care about what he or she is saying, which can build a very positive relationship between you and that prospect.
A tip that goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip is to ask questions. To stimulate people to talk and to help you clarify your understanding of what they mean, let them know you take them seriously by drawing them out. When you ask questions you reinforce the idea that you are truly listening, not simply standing there, waiting for your turn to speak.
The seventh tip, remembering what is said, involves logging important points into your mental computer. You should take notes if you feel that such action is necessary. Also, try to make connections between apparently isolated remarks.
Blocking out interruptions and distractions is an essential step in becoming an effective active listener. You should concentrate so fully on what is being said that you don't even notice visual and audible distractions. When you allow these outside factors to steal your attention, your prospect may possibly assume that your original attention was forced, thereby causing your chances of completing a sale to dramatically decrease.
An obvious aspect of actively listening to your prospect is to be responsive. However, this tip is not so obvious to some salespeople because many never seem to follow this advice. For those who don't know what this means, you should get your whole body into listening and showing that you are paying attention. Look the person squarely in the eyes, and use facial expressions.
The final, and most important tip in the process of active listening is to stay cool. You should emanate complete relaxation throughout your entire conversation with the prospect. Don't overreact to highly charged words and tones, because quite often people calm down after being allowed to vent their anger and frustration. Furthermore, your calm is likely to rub off on your prospect, creating a conversation environment that is far less stress-free.
Active listening is an important, yet widely ignored aspect of selling. If you are unable to convey your heartfelt interest in what your prospect is saying, then your chances of actually closing the sale are greatly decreased. On the other hand, if you follow these tips to becoming an active listener, then you are guaranteed to have many more productive, pleasant selling experiences.
Bill Brooks, CSP, CPAE, CMC, CPCM former CEO of a $300,000,000 corporation and two-time sales award winner from an international sales force of 8,000, Bill has real-world expertise. Bill has spoken or consulted in over 300 different industries while being engaged by at least 150 clients an astonishing six times each. For information about how to bring Bill to your next meeting or convention,
