Do you really hear me? Or: why Positive Sales equals Listening
Do you really hear me? Or: why Positive Sales equals Listening
Think about how it feels being a customer of a clumsy sales person. First they don’t understand what we want, then they offer us the wrong thing and when we are not convinced they make desperate attempts to push us into the purchase. There is a lack of good sales people in this country, no matter what industry we are looking at. But there are thousands of sales strategies, taught at sales seminars, workshops and coaches. And yet the good sales women or man is still the exception.
It is hard to get away from the approach to talk as much as possible about one’s products in the hope that the customer might find them interesting enough to buy. The main mistake inexperienced sales people make is asking no questions; the second is not listening. And even if this is what sales people think they do: believe me, most don’t. Why? Because asking and listening are skills that need to be developed and nursed regularly. And because is very difficult when your boss breathes down your neck with the weekly sales targets.
You are in sales yet not happy with how you’re doing right now? Try to be more aware of yourself during your sales conversations and ask yourself:
In percentages, who talks more and who listens more?
(It should be you listening and the customer talking).
How efficient are your questions?
(The right questions get the right answers quicker).
What do you actually need to know from your average client?
(Prepare a list of the most crucial questions that need answering).
And most importantly: do you hear what they are saying?
(= React and adapt appropriately).
Many sales people realize that they thought they had been asking and listening to their customers as much as was necessary - before they actually started doing it. What is the point of all the learning about Positive Sales? Well, better sales performance turning out as higher turnover, richer sales bonus and happier work life are just the rewards that affect the sales person. Happier customers and return business are additional perks. For clients and sales personnel alike.
Do you really hear me Or why Positive Sales equals Listening - To learn more about this author, visit Andrea 's Website.
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Business owners and sales people have one very important task: knowing their customers. The only way to do that is asking what they need and why they need it. It’s that simple. No matter whether they sell insurance, books, furniture, bank accounts, consulting services or real estate; never mind whether their customer is Mr. Smith or company XYZ Inc: great sales people focus on the customer. Positive Sales means exactly that: finding out about the client’s needs by asking as many questions as necessary; and only then matching their needs with the product or service, if appropriate.
Think about how it feels being a customer of a clumsy sales person. First they don’t understand what we want, then they offer us the wrong thing and when we are not convinced they make desperate attempts to push us into the purchase. There is a lack of good sales people in this country, no matter what industry we are looking at. But there are thousands of sales strategies, taught at sales seminars, workshops and coaches. And yet the good sales women or man is still the exception.
It is hard to get away from the approach to talk as much as possible about one’s products in the hope that the customer might find them interesting enough to buy. The main mistake inexperienced sales people make is asking no questions; the second is not listening. And even if this is what sales people think they do: believe me, most don’t. Why? Because asking and listening are skills that need to be developed and nursed regularly. And because is very difficult when your boss breathes down your neck with the weekly sales targets.
You are in sales yet not happy with how you’re doing right now? Try to be more aware of yourself during your sales conversations and ask yourself:
In percentages, who talks more and who listens more?
(It should be you listening and the customer talking).
How efficient are your questions?
(The right questions get the right answers quicker).
What do you actually need to know from your average client?
(Prepare a list of the most crucial questions that need answering).
And most importantly: do you hear what they are saying?
(= React and adapt appropriately).
Many sales people realize that they thought they had been asking and listening to their customers as much as was necessary - before they actually started doing it. What is the point of all the learning about Positive Sales? Well, better sales performance turning out as higher turnover, richer sales bonus and happier work life are just the rewards that affect the sales person. Happier customers and return business are additional perks. For clients and sales personnel alike.
Do you really hear me Or why Positive Sales equals Listening - To learn more about this author, visit Andrea 's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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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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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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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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Dr. John OdaJohn Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
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 Andrea (Visit Andrea's Website) * Business Trainer and Coach Since autumn 2007 I’ve been teaching leadership seminars at the Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor (MI) and as faculty member at The LEAD Institute, where m role is 360 degree feedback coaching with executives. I’m certified in AchieveGlobal training seminars for Genuine Leadership, Professional Selling Skills and Customer Service. Previous client: DELL, Slovak Republic. I'm also PhD candidate in Leadership and Organizational Change at www.thierry school.org. Previous to this role I worked as Local Business Manager for Barclays Bank in Brighton, UK. The main components of this role were sales, business development and risk management. During that period I attended numerous networking events and held a position as chapter director for a local networking organization. Previous to that I was an Account Executive for Kimberly-Clark, also in Brighton, England. For this American company I oversaw the Order To Cash process of the largest German retail group. My interest in sales started when I worked as Sales Assistant Manager for a medium sized company, selling laminate and hardwood flooring in a commission based role.
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