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Build Customers’ Trust in You by Listening and Learning
Written by: Sam AllmanArticle Overview: 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.
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Build Customers’ Trust in You by Listening and Learning
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.
Listening Your Best Sales Tool
Customer Relationships The Key to Sales Prosperity
Building Trust Results in Customer Loyalty
Coaching Tip - Top 4 Ways Pressure Salespeople Gain Their Reputation
Entrepreneurs Make The Most Of Your Business Mentor Relationship
Article Tags: 15 minutes, desire, empathy, insurance, insurance products, life insurance company, percentages, produ, sales managers, salespeople, speculations
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About the Author: Sam Allman RSS for Sam's articles - Visit Sam's website  Click here to visit Sam's website   If you were put on trial as an expert Enthusiasm Its Showtime Customer Intimacy Leads to Customer Loyalty What to Do in a Down Economy or The Magnificent Seven Mine for Gold in the Right Places |
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Ideas on Using Twitter for Business
- 1. Build an account and immediate start using Twitter Search to listen for your name, your competitor's names, words that relate to your space. (Listening always comes first.)
2. Add a picture. ( Shel reminds us of this.) We want to see you.
3. Talk to people about THEIR interests, too. I know this doesn't sell more widgets, but it shows us you are human.
4. Point out interesting things in your space, not just about you.
5. Share links to neat things in your community. ( wholefoods does this well).
6. Don't get stuck in the apology loop. Be helpful instead. ( jetblue gives travel tips.)
7. Be wary of always pimping your stuff. Your fans will love it. Others will tune out.
8. Promote your employees outside-of-work stories. ( TheHomeDepot does it well.)
9. Throw in a few humans, like RichardAtDELL, LionelAtDELL, etc.
10. Talk about non-business,
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT
- Hi David,
To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience".
Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Re: Ideas on Using Twitter for Business
- [quote="evieparsons":2o69rd2a]1. Build an account and immediate start using Twitter Search to listen for your name, your competitor's names, words that relate to your space. (Listening always comes first.)
2. Add a picture. ( Shel reminds us of this.) We want to see you.
3. Talk to people about THEIR interests, too. I know this doesn't sell more widgets, but it shows us you are human.
4. Point out interesting things in your space, not just about you.
5. Share links to neat things in your community. ( wholefoods does this well).
6. Don't get stuck in the apology loop. Be helpful instead. ( jetblue gives travel tips.)
7. Be wary of always pimping your stuff. Your fans will love it. Others will tune out.
8. Promote your employees outside-of-work stories. ( TheHomeDepot does it well.)
9. Throw in a few humans, like RichardAtDELL, LionelAtDELL, etc.
10. Talk about non-business,[/quote:2o69rd2a]
Hey thanks for these tips. Basically, help others in your market out and build relationships with people. Be someone who gives, not takes. I'll keep them in mind if I go back to social media marketing. I'm currently in the SEO phase of my business.
Re: How do I find a direct mail list of potential customers
- Hi WhyNot,
Is it possible there are websites about the Federal Government. It needs to delve into it to find the key person. Listening for once to the news could pinpoint who is really in charge of this department.
I wish you wisdom to connect with the right people. Nothing is too difficult, if you put your mind to it.
Maybe some one else has a supportive idea.
Re: How to Get Over Your Fear of Failure, Make Every Second Coun
- Hi Evan,
I've just been listening to a couple of your MTM videos while packing parcels. I especially enjoyed this one on JKR.
Listening to stuff like this while packing orders is one of my better ways of "making every second count!"
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