2 Ears, 1 Mouth...
April 24, 2010
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, and in sales, we are taught to use them in that proportion. How and why does that apply to sales people? Aren’t salespeople supposed to have the gift of gab and be good talkers? Or better yet, smooth talkers? For some, yes, but more importantly the really good salespeople are great listeners.
As many sales people have discovered, truly listening to the customer is the secret. Yet, for unknown reasons, we don’t receive any formal education in listening during our life. Listening is a learned skill that offers a lot of value and is critical to any sales career. There are two important reasons to listen:
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People feel good when they know that they are being heard and you are truly listening to them. People like to talk about themselves, and unfortunately, most think that others aren’t really listening when they speak. Being heard is so special that people enjoy and want more of it.
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It’s a great way to find out what’s important to a person. This information tells you about your customer’s needs, and what you have to offer them for those needs. When there’s a match, if you’ve listened, you’ll have all the information required to present a compelling reason to do business and provide solutions to their expressed needs.
Here is an example of how listening really makes a difference:
A very good friend of mine was sitting next to a well dressed guy, whom I’ll call “Joe”, on a plane one day. I was sitting in the seat next to them, reading a book, but I couldn’t help but overhear the entire conversation. Joe asked my friend lots of questions during the 2-hour flight. He asked him everything from his name to his life history.
When we got off the plane, my friend told me, ”That was the nicest man I’ve ever met”. I couldn’t believe it! Especially since my friend never asked Joe any questions! So, I asked my friend what the man’s name was. He didn’t know. I proceeded to ask him what the guy did for a living. Again, he didn’t know. What did he know?
Nothing. This well dressed man asked questions and my friend did ALL the talking. And, shockingly, my friend walked away thinking that this man was the nicest man ever. Case in point.
Ask good questions and listen attentively. You might learn something valuable.
