Hit the Pause Button and Watch Your Business Grow
Hit the Pause Button and Watch Your Business Grow
Unfortunately, many sales and customer service personnel, if they ever do take time to ask questions, seem less interested in listening to the response than in getting on with the next question they want to ask. This creates "question shock," when too many questions are fired at the customer in a Sam Donaldson staccato. The customer gets confused by so many questions and feels like they are being interrogated or "boxed into" a particular response. This leads to the customer closing up, which in turn shuts down their interest in buying the product or service. In fact, the biggest single complaint of professional purchasers is that salespeople talk too much and listen too little, according to the Purchasing Managers Association of America's annual survey.
A salesperson who really listens, though, turns this dynamic upside down. Sales expert Brian Tracy calls listening "white magic." His research demonstrates that listening exerts an almost magical effect on human relationships. It causes people to relax and open up. Top salespeople know that customers don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. They know the quickest way to show caring is by effective listening.
There are scads of books, audiotapes, and video courses all teaching listening skills. While many are worthwhile, we have found the single most important principle to becoming a more effective listener is simply to employ an active listening technique called the "pause-button silence."
The pause-button silence is at the core of a dialogue style that has longer pauses between questions and answers than other styles. It's not a gimmick. It's a universally reliable technique that solves the question shock problem described above and leads to excellent communication. To use the pause-button silence , you simply pause for three-to-four seconds at two key places in the communication process-after you ask a question and after your customer responds. Introducing these two pauses into your sales and customer service conversations will dramatically-and immediately-improve the quality and quantity of the information you receive.
The reason is simple. When you practice the pause-button silence after you ask a question, it gives the customer much more time to reflect and respond with solid information. By pausing after they respond, you give yourself time to process what they've communicated. You show that you are really thinking about what they said, which in turn prompts them both to elaborate further and really think about what you said. The pause-button silence also generates greater trust by being patient and showing the customer you genuinely care about their needs.
The pause-button silence will seem uncomfortable at first. It may give you some 'nerves' when there is so much silence, but the payoffs after you get used to employing it are enormous. If you practice it for even a short time, it will become second nature, and you will become a more effective communicator with anyone. It's not a magical wand, but it does build trust and gain you more positive information than any other single listening skill.
Hit the Pause Button and Watch Your Business Grow - To learn more about this author, visit George Ludwig's Website.
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Most people believe that to be good in sales or customer service, you have got to be a good talker. You often hear people say, "You have the gift of gab; you should be in sales!" Nothing could be further from the truth. Many top sales people are defined as introverts on psychological tests-up to 75 per cent of them. They would much rather listen than talk in a sales situation. Poor salespeople dominate the "talking," but top salespeople dominate the "listening." Sales and customer service superstars practice the 70/30 rule. They talk and ask questions 30 percent of the time and then listen intently to their customers 70 percent of the time
Unfortunately, many sales and customer service personnel, if they ever do take time to ask questions, seem less interested in listening to the response than in getting on with the next question they want to ask. This creates "question shock," when too many questions are fired at the customer in a Sam Donaldson staccato. The customer gets confused by so many questions and feels like they are being interrogated or "boxed into" a particular response. This leads to the customer closing up, which in turn shuts down their interest in buying the product or service. In fact, the biggest single complaint of professional purchasers is that salespeople talk too much and listen too little, according to the Purchasing Managers Association of America's annual survey.
A salesperson who really listens, though, turns this dynamic upside down. Sales expert Brian Tracy calls listening "white magic." His research demonstrates that listening exerts an almost magical effect on human relationships. It causes people to relax and open up. Top salespeople know that customers don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. They know the quickest way to show caring is by effective listening.
There are scads of books, audiotapes, and video courses all teaching listening skills. While many are worthwhile, we have found the single most important principle to becoming a more effective listener is simply to employ an active listening technique called the "pause-button silence."
The pause-button silence is at the core of a dialogue style that has longer pauses between questions and answers than other styles. It's not a gimmick. It's a universally reliable technique that solves the question shock problem described above and leads to excellent communication. To use the pause-button silence , you simply pause for three-to-four seconds at two key places in the communication process-after you ask a question and after your customer responds. Introducing these two pauses into your sales and customer service conversations will dramatically-and immediately-improve the quality and quantity of the information you receive.
The reason is simple. When you practice the pause-button silence after you ask a question, it gives the customer much more time to reflect and respond with solid information. By pausing after they respond, you give yourself time to process what they've communicated. You show that you are really thinking about what they said, which in turn prompts them both to elaborate further and really think about what you said. The pause-button silence also generates greater trust by being patient and showing the customer you genuinely care about their needs.
The pause-button silence will seem uncomfortable at first. It may give you some 'nerves' when there is so much silence, but the payoffs after you get used to employing it are enormous. If you practice it for even a short time, it will become second nature, and you will become a more effective communicator with anyone. It's not a magical wand, but it does build trust and gain you more positive information than any other single listening skill.
Hit the Pause Button and Watch Your Business Grow - To learn more about this author, visit George Ludwig'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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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr'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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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 |
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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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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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