What two things? Your ears! Being a great salesperson involves the ability to quickly understand the buyer’s situation which enables you to formulate the best possible solution. Understanding comes through listening.
Rate Your Listening Skills
Here’s a quick quiz to test your own listening skills. Do you ever:
Think about what you’re going to say next while the person is still talking? Get distracted by physical or electronic interruptions? Finish people’s sentences for them? Interrupt someone before they finish their thought? Try to multitask vs. giving your full attention? Spend more time preparing what you’re going to say vs. formulating what questions you’re going to ask? Forget the names of people you just met? Rush people who are trying to give you information or ask your advice?
If you’re like me you had to answer yes to more than one of the above questions. So, what can be done?
How to Become a Better Listener
Here are some tips you can put into practice immediately that will improve your listening skills – and your sales results in the process.
- Minimize external distractions.
- Listen without judgement.
- Focus fully on the person by making eye contact and watching body language.
- Discipline yourself to let someone finish before thinking about how to respond.
- Formulate questions that make the prospect think more deeply about their own situation.
- Write down key words, phrases, and names for future reference.
- Listen for what is not being said in addition to what is shared.
- Ask for clarification instead of assuming you know what is meant.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a great start toward improving how you communicate.
Not Just for Sales
I encourage you to practice these great listening habits in every conversation that you have, not just with prospects. You will be surprised at how much easier life gets when you operate in listening mode in all situations. Everyone wants to be heard. When you give the gift of listening first and consistently, others will start to do the same with you.
If you’re ready to take your selling skills to the next level, my self-paced video training program is a great way to do it. You can get more information here.