Listening Your Best Sales Tool
Listening Your Best Sales Tool
Be the Best Listener Your Customers Know
Your customers should perceive you as the best listener with whom they come in contact. They may not realize this consciously, but listening earns great amounts of trust and consideration. You become perceived as someone who takes a genuine interest in your customers and has a strong desire to help. In this way, you stand apart from the competition.
Listening is Hard Work
It takes emotional strength to listen. It goes against our natural instincts, which are to express our feelings and thoughts and relate our personal experiences to others. Just realize that most customers don't care about our personal views and opinions; they want to know how are we going to help them. When you feel the strong urge to talk, don't do it. This is the time to be quite and listen. Listening is hard work that pays off in the long run.
Listening and Understanding Builds Trust
Sales do not happen until a customer trusts you and your business enough to buy. Listening is the key to building trust and customer loyalty. In fact, listening is perhaps the best way to build trust during a sales transaction. Many sales people are not trusted simply because they do not listen enough. Be an excellent listener and build trust.
Use Probing Questions Like a Scientist
Use probing questions to understand your customer and determine how you are going to add value. Selling is both an art and science; it is creative and analytical. Develop the skills of a scientist as you qualify your prospects. Probe and explore like a scientist and listen and create solutions like an artist. Prepare your questions in advance and use them to direct the dialog and qualify your customer.
Listen Like an Artist
Imagine you are an artist searching for creative ways to help your customers. Create solutions by listening and determining how to help. Creativity comes when you are listening and focused. It is a combination of the scientist and artist that makes a great listener and top-level sales person.
Customers May Not Open Up
Customers will not tell you everything unless they trust you. They do not want to be seen as vulnerable and have you take advantage of them. Your challenge is to move them from the fear of loss to the desire for gain. This is done through building trust and meeting their needs. Listening, asking probing questions and creating solutions is the key to easing fear and increasing the desire for gain. Listening helps you find ways to add value.
Silence is OK
Many sales people talk because they feel silence is uncomfortable, to the contrary magic can happen in silence. During a silent period your prospect is often thinking of a question or pondering her or his next move. Let them think and understand that silence is OK. It is especially important to be quite after you ask for the close. Let the customer be the first to speak and you probably have a sale.
Get Inside the Head of Your Customers
Determine your customers' hot buttons, or the specific things that will cause them to buy. Listening allows you to get inside the head of your customers and understand their hot buttons. You will then be better equipped to determine how you can add value to their busy lives. Always remember to listen more than you talk and you will develop a strong competitive advantage by becoming an incredible listener.
Listening Your Best Sales Tool - To learn more about this author, visit Thomas Young's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
If you are a sales and marketing professional and there is only one article you ever read and take action on, let it be this one. The most important skill you can develop is the ability to listen and understand customers. This may appear to be common sense, but if so, why is it lacking so much in today's business world? Here are a few tips on the importance of becoming a great listener.
Be the Best Listener Your Customers Know
Your customers should perceive you as the best listener with whom they come in contact. They may not realize this consciously, but listening earns great amounts of trust and consideration. You become perceived as someone who takes a genuine interest in your customers and has a strong desire to help. In this way, you stand apart from the competition.
Listening is Hard Work
It takes emotional strength to listen. It goes against our natural instincts, which are to express our feelings and thoughts and relate our personal experiences to others. Just realize that most customers don't care about our personal views and opinions; they want to know how are we going to help them. When you feel the strong urge to talk, don't do it. This is the time to be quite and listen. Listening is hard work that pays off in the long run.
Listening and Understanding Builds Trust
Sales do not happen until a customer trusts you and your business enough to buy. Listening is the key to building trust and customer loyalty. In fact, listening is perhaps the best way to build trust during a sales transaction. Many sales people are not trusted simply because they do not listen enough. Be an excellent listener and build trust.
Use Probing Questions Like a Scientist
Use probing questions to understand your customer and determine how you are going to add value. Selling is both an art and science; it is creative and analytical. Develop the skills of a scientist as you qualify your prospects. Probe and explore like a scientist and listen and create solutions like an artist. Prepare your questions in advance and use them to direct the dialog and qualify your customer.
Listen Like an Artist
Imagine you are an artist searching for creative ways to help your customers. Create solutions by listening and determining how to help. Creativity comes when you are listening and focused. It is a combination of the scientist and artist that makes a great listener and top-level sales person.
Customers May Not Open Up
Customers will not tell you everything unless they trust you. They do not want to be seen as vulnerable and have you take advantage of them. Your challenge is to move them from the fear of loss to the desire for gain. This is done through building trust and meeting their needs. Listening, asking probing questions and creating solutions is the key to easing fear and increasing the desire for gain. Listening helps you find ways to add value.
Silence is OK
Many sales people talk because they feel silence is uncomfortable, to the contrary magic can happen in silence. During a silent period your prospect is often thinking of a question or pondering her or his next move. Let them think and understand that silence is OK. It is especially important to be quite after you ask for the close. Let the customer be the first to speak and you probably have a sale.
Get Inside the Head of Your Customers
Determine your customers' hot buttons, or the specific things that will cause them to buy. Listening allows you to get inside the head of your customers and understand their hot buttons. You will then be better equipped to determine how you can add value to their busy lives. Always remember to listen more than you talk and you will develop a strong competitive advantage by becoming an incredible listener.
Listening Your Best Sales Tool - To learn more about this author, visit Thomas Young's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
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 |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
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 |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
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 |
|||
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 |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Thomas's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Strategic Alliance Zero Based Budgeting Feed your body, gain a life Organized in 10 mins Home Party Plan Mistakes |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Social Media Blogs
Top 50 Social Media Blogs | |
 |
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs
Top 50 Geek Business Blogs | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||