Build Customers’ Trust in You by Listening and Learning
Build Customers’ Trust in You by Listening and Learning
Recently, sales managers at a life insurance company puzzled over a drop in sales at about 18 months into the career of many new sales agents. The managers speculated that these agents were burning out. Or, maybe they had exhausted their list of friends to solicit. The company investigated.
They found their speculations were wrong. The real cause was the agents’ declining interest in learning all they could about their customer. When new, these agents were truly teachable. They listened to their customers’ stories . . . to uncover the whole situation. They listened until they could recommend the insurance products best suited to each client. On average, they devoted more than an hour listening to each customer.
However, after working about 15 - 18 months, most agents had figured out that nearly all customers fit into a limited number of categories. The agents found they could ask a few key questions and, within 15 minutes, fit the customer into one of those categories. (Can you do that?) They were nearly always right. (Are you, too?)
But, then, their “closing percentages” dropped. The problem? The minute they pegged the client, they stopped asking questions and listening, and started recommending products.
What were they doing wrong?
They were not projecting their need-to-know – their desire to fully understand the customer’s particular situation and desires. The number one characteristic of peak performing salespeople is empathy. Why? When one feels understood, they are more open to influence. These customers sensed that the agents were not interested in their needs, so they declined to buy . . . and sales declined.
How many sales might you have lost in just the last two weeks for that same reason? Do you have favorite products that you like to push? The risk you take when you don’t listen and sincerely want to learn is that the customer will think you are more interested in the sale than in what they really need.
Learning to ask questions, like you are really interested in learning about your customer may be the most important selling skill you’ll ever master. It may be the most under-used skill in the salesperson’s toolbox. As you read the following list of “probing benefits”, consider all the things that good questions will do.
1. Probing prevents you from talking too much. Probing forces you to swivel the spotlight from you to the customer, especially at the opening.
2. Probing intensifies your concern for this customer, and her feelings for you. By setting aside your agenda, and working to understand the customer’s agenda first, you invest in the customer. As you invest, your caring grows . . . naturally. The customer then feels validated. So, she naturally reciprocates with trust for you.
3. Probing elicits the customer’s needs and wants. Effective probing questions elicit the customer’s left-brain needs and right-brain wants. Knowing them, you can personalize your response.
4. Probing keeps the customer focused on you, on your products and services. As long as the customer is answering your questions, she is listening to you. Listening requires the customer to focus . . . and understand the benefits. By contrast, when you lecture, she may tune out. She may become confused. A confused mind can’t decide.
5. Probing clarifies in the customer’s mind what is right for her . . . and how much she wants a particular product. Your probes tell her needs, wants, and possible solutions – all in her own mind. More powerfully, as you have probed with empathy, she has retained control about the buy-in. She draws her own conclusions. Being hers, they are good. As a result, she wants to buy from you . . . naturally.
It takes a master salesperson know when to cease asking questions and to begin presenting. If you have doubts about your ability to know when to cease your learning, I guarantee you probably need to ask more questions.
To build trust faster, try shedding any shreds of knowing-it-all. Intensify your teachableness. See if customers don’t trust you more . . . and then buy more.
Build Customers Trust in You by Listening and Learning - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Allman's Website.
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Customers trust humble (“teachable”) salespeople. Customers don’t shop price with salespeople they trust. Salespeople build trust by listening and sincerely wanting to learn about the customer. Remember Columbo?
Recently, sales managers at a life insurance company puzzled over a drop in sales at about 18 months into the career of many new sales agents. The managers speculated that these agents were burning out. Or, maybe they had exhausted their list of friends to solicit. The company investigated.
They found their speculations were wrong. The real cause was the agents’ declining interest in learning all they could about their customer. When new, these agents were truly teachable. They listened to their customers’ stories . . . to uncover the whole situation. They listened until they could recommend the insurance products best suited to each client. On average, they devoted more than an hour listening to each customer.
However, after working about 15 - 18 months, most agents had figured out that nearly all customers fit into a limited number of categories. The agents found they could ask a few key questions and, within 15 minutes, fit the customer into one of those categories. (Can you do that?) They were nearly always right. (Are you, too?)
But, then, their “closing percentages” dropped. The problem? The minute they pegged the client, they stopped asking questions and listening, and started recommending products.
What were they doing wrong?
They were not projecting their need-to-know – their desire to fully understand the customer’s particular situation and desires. The number one characteristic of peak performing salespeople is empathy. Why? When one feels understood, they are more open to influence. These customers sensed that the agents were not interested in their needs, so they declined to buy . . . and sales declined.
How many sales might you have lost in just the last two weeks for that same reason? Do you have favorite products that you like to push? The risk you take when you don’t listen and sincerely want to learn is that the customer will think you are more interested in the sale than in what they really need.
Learning to ask questions, like you are really interested in learning about your customer may be the most important selling skill you’ll ever master. It may be the most under-used skill in the salesperson’s toolbox. As you read the following list of “probing benefits”, consider all the things that good questions will do.
1. Probing prevents you from talking too much. Probing forces you to swivel the spotlight from you to the customer, especially at the opening.
2. Probing intensifies your concern for this customer, and her feelings for you. By setting aside your agenda, and working to understand the customer’s agenda first, you invest in the customer. As you invest, your caring grows . . . naturally. The customer then feels validated. So, she naturally reciprocates with trust for you.
3. Probing elicits the customer’s needs and wants. Effective probing questions elicit the customer’s left-brain needs and right-brain wants. Knowing them, you can personalize your response.
4. Probing keeps the customer focused on you, on your products and services. As long as the customer is answering your questions, she is listening to you. Listening requires the customer to focus . . . and understand the benefits. By contrast, when you lecture, she may tune out. She may become confused. A confused mind can’t decide.
5. Probing clarifies in the customer’s mind what is right for her . . . and how much she wants a particular product. Your probes tell her needs, wants, and possible solutions – all in her own mind. More powerfully, as you have probed with empathy, she has retained control about the buy-in. She draws her own conclusions. Being hers, they are good. As a result, she wants to buy from you . . . naturally.
It takes a master salesperson know when to cease asking questions and to begin presenting. If you have doubts about your ability to know when to cease your learning, I guarantee you probably need to ask more questions.
To build trust faster, try shedding any shreds of knowing-it-all. Intensify your teachableness. See if customers don’t trust you more . . . and then buy more.
Build Customers Trust in You by Listening and Learning - To learn more about this author, visit Sam Allman's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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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 |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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