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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS
Written by: Ron La VineArticle Overview: Excerpt: Clear your desk and prepare yourself for each call by having everything you need within reach or eyesight. To maximize each call, use a headset, lean slightly forward while sitting in your chair and minimize or remove all distractions around you. Think of yourself as a sponge. Give your full attention to what is being said by the contact. Listen closely to not only what is being said, and how it is being said.
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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS
By Ron S. La Vine
President of Accelerated Sales Results Telesales Training and Sales Training, Inc.
Clear your desk and prepare yourself for each call by having everything you need within reach or eyesight. To maximize each call, use a headset, lean slightly forward while sitting in your chair and minimize or remove all distractions around you.
Think of yourself as a sponge. Give your full attention to what is being said by the contact. Listen closely to not only what is being said, and how it is being said.
A helpful tip is to record your conversations to be sure you do not miss any important details. Then play the recording after the call confirming the notes you took based upon what you heard are correct.
When entering a new industry, most people know little, if anything, about the terminology (nomenclature) being used. People in the software industry use acronyms like MVS (multiple virtual storage), VM (virtual machine), VSE (virtual storage extended) or CICS (customer information control system) and it can get confusing fast.
A good strategy to overcome this challenge is to ask the people you speak with, if they have a moment to explain what different terms mean and how the terms relate. Never be afraid to admit you do not know or understand something. Remember to be interested, not interesting, by becoming a good listener.
You can receive a free education worth thousands of dollars just by asking questions and letting people have the opportunity to teach you what they have learned after years of experience in their industry. Is everyone helpful? No. Many people are too busy to take the time to speak with you. Yet there are plenty of people who will spend the time to educate you if you ask politely and show a genuine interest in what they have to say.
What makes your call different from any other type of call, is you are truly trying to benefit the account. You do this by using seeing ("I see what you mean"), hearing ("I hear what you are saying") or feeling ("I understand how you feel") terms.1 These terms enable your contact to understand the results they can attain using your solution.
You can demonstrate to a contact how to alleviate dissatisfaction with current suppliers, get rid potential problems or challenges while taking advantage of proven solutions. You do this by relaying the benefits your products or services provide along with the corresponding results in terms they can relate to.
During a qualification call, accounts tend to be naturally wary of unexpected calls therefore it is imperative you differentiate yourself from other account executives by respecting your account's time. Is your calendar handy and are you ready to schedule a phone appointment if the contact you are calling is busy?
Remember to be exceptionally friendly and polite to everyone you speak with in the account's company. People with influence can come from any area of a company.
How does the person sound when they answer the phone? Are they harried, angry, busy or distracted? It's a good idea to ask "Am I catching you at a busy point?" If they say yes, then ask when would be a good time to call back and schedule an appointment to call them on a specific day and time. Make a note in your schedule and be sure to place the call. If handled correctly they will feel obligated to spend at least a minute speaking with you since they agreed to the appointment or if they don't want to make an appointment they may give you 30 seconds to a minute to briefly explain the reason why you're calling.
If you practice these TIPs, while making your calls, your can increase your success. People like to speak with people who can establish credibility by speaking on the same level as they do rather than above or below them. My experience shows, people, when asked politely for their time, and have granted permission to speak with them, enjoy speaking with someone who has a genuine interest in listening to what they have to say.
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