The Power of Active Listening
The Power of Active Listening
Active listening, I subsequently realized, is what the top salespeople do. They actively listen to their prospects to learn as much as they can about them. They focus on what their prospects find interesting.
But what do prospects find interesting?
In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie said, "People are most interested in themselves".
If you want to be considered a great conversationalist, said Carnegie, you should state practically nothing. Instead, ask questions about the other person.
So the secret to being an interesting conversationalist is to figure out how to keep turning the conversation back to the other person---his interests, wants, and needs, as well as his thoughts, opinions, and accomplishments.
Start by speaking in the second person. Instead of saying "I think this" or "I want to do that," try beginning sentences with "you," as in "You may like what we have planned for …" or "You probably have a good idea about how we should …"
This is, admittedly, a bit manipulative. But it manipulates you as well as the listener. It pushes you to consider his interests -- and that can result in a conversation that is truly more interesting to him.
Other things you can do to encourage poor listeners to listen to you are:
* Ask for feedback: "I'd like to hear your reaction to …"
* Make analogies to their favorite subjects: "My plan is like having three all-star pitchers in the bullpen …"
* Make positive statements to encourage their participation: "That's a very important and useful point you just made …"
Though Carnegie was talking about active listening as a tool to 'Win Friends and Influence People', it is also a key to developing a strong rapport with your prospects, clients, and centres-of-influence.
Lawrence Geller says "Top performers always ask questions. They are interested in their clients, and want them to speak openly about their goals. The more that an agent knows about what clients wants to have happen with their family, their business, their interests, the better able the agent is to discuss the available options with them."
Active listening is a skill you can learn. Practice it on your family, and friends. They'll be amazed at what a 'nice, sensitive' person they feel you've suddenly become.
And your clients will love you!
The Power of Active Listening - To learn more about this author, visit Donald F. Pooley's Website.
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Back when my youngest son was in his troublesome teens, my wife and I took a course on Parent Effectiveness Training. It was an eye-opener, because we discovered that we were not really listening to him. We should have 'Actively Listened'.
Active listening, I subsequently realized, is what the top salespeople do. They actively listen to their prospects to learn as much as they can about them. They focus on what their prospects find interesting.
But what do prospects find interesting?
In his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie said, "People are most interested in themselves".
If you want to be considered a great conversationalist, said Carnegie, you should state practically nothing. Instead, ask questions about the other person.
So the secret to being an interesting conversationalist is to figure out how to keep turning the conversation back to the other person---his interests, wants, and needs, as well as his thoughts, opinions, and accomplishments.
Start by speaking in the second person. Instead of saying "I think this" or "I want to do that," try beginning sentences with "you," as in "You may like what we have planned for …" or "You probably have a good idea about how we should …"
This is, admittedly, a bit manipulative. But it manipulates you as well as the listener. It pushes you to consider his interests -- and that can result in a conversation that is truly more interesting to him.
Other things you can do to encourage poor listeners to listen to you are:
* Ask for feedback: "I'd like to hear your reaction to …"
* Make analogies to their favorite subjects: "My plan is like having three all-star pitchers in the bullpen …"
* Make positive statements to encourage their participation: "That's a very important and useful point you just made …"
Though Carnegie was talking about active listening as a tool to 'Win Friends and Influence People', it is also a key to developing a strong rapport with your prospects, clients, and centres-of-influence.
Lawrence Geller says "Top performers always ask questions. They are interested in their clients, and want them to speak openly about their goals. The more that an agent knows about what clients wants to have happen with their family, their business, their interests, the better able the agent is to discuss the available options with them."
Active listening is a skill you can learn. Practice it on your family, and friends. They'll be amazed at what a 'nice, sensitive' person they feel you've suddenly become.
And your clients will love you!
The Power of Active Listening - To learn more about this author, visit Donald F. Pooley's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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