| Shut Up And Listen! | | | | Do you summarize what you hear? If you think |
| Blessed with the "gift of gab" are you? That's | | | | you have uncovered an important need, restate it |
| nice. But true sales professionals know that | | | | to check your understanding. This not only wards |
| before they start gabbing to customers about | | | | off confusion, it shows that you're paying |
| their product features or anything else, they need | | | | attention. |
| to listen to what the customer has to say - and | | | | Do you use what you've heard in your |
| demonstrate that they're paying attention. | | | | presentation? Your product pitch comes after |
| Customers won't buy from you if they don't like | | | | you've listened, not before. And when you make |
| you, trust you or respect you. And they are far | | | | your presentation, every feature and benefit you |
| more likely to buy when you can position your | | | | discuss should be tied to a need you uncovered |
| product or service as a solution to what they | | | | by asking questions. That is the true test - and |
| perceive as an important need. Listening is the | | | | the true payoff - of your listening skills. |
| key sales skill that allows you to earn customer's | | | | Customers won't buy your products unless they |
| trust and uncover their needs at the same time. | | | | first "buy" you. And no matter how charismatic |
| Customers care more that you understand their | | | | you think you are, you can't sell yourself to |
| needs than that they understand your products. | | | | people who think you aren't paying attention to |
| Who decides whether you're a good listener? The | | | | their concerns. Never mind being interesting. Be |
| customer does. And since customers can't read | | | | interested. |
| your mind, they can only judge by the behavior | | | | In The Field: |
| you show them. Here are five primary indicators | | | | A sales representative for an electrical-equipment |
| that determine whether customers will perceive | | | | company landed a $77,000 order thanks to the |
| you as a good listener: | | | | listening skills he picked up in an Action Selling |
| What kind of questions do you ask? Open-ended | | | | Sales Training workshop. |
| questions (as opposed to "yes" or "no" questions) | | | | On a call to an electrical contractor, the sales rep |
| encourage the customer to talk. That must | | | | used open-ended questions to uncover the key |
| happen before you can listen. Most salespeople | | | | needs driving the purchasing decision: The |
| ask far too few open-ended questions. | | | | contractor needed to buy supplies at a price point |
| How do you demonstrate your interest? Focus | | | | that wouldn't exceed the amount he had quoted |
| your questions on the customer's interests, not | | | | for materials on a particular job, and he needed to |
| your own. Why are you talking about your golf | | | | buy them fast. The sales rep listened carefully, |
| game if this person doesn't play? | | | | restated the needs to check his understanding |
| Do you take notes? If you're so interested in | | | | and quickly submitted a bid tailored to those very |
| what the customer is saying, why wouldn't you | | | | requirements. It's hardly surprising that his was |
| take notes? | | | | the winning bid. |