Oftentimes you’ve probably heard it said that listening is one of the most important talents that a good salesperson possesses. There’s some truth to this. By being skilled in this arena, a salesperson has the opportunity to listen to a prospect’s objections, address them, and hopefully, make the sale. Yet even though most salespeople understand that active listening is critical, many of them fail to do so. The good news is that people can become better listeners with practice–below we offer some suggestions for accomplishing that goal.
Develop the Right Mindset.
You may believe that being a better listener means that you’ll be bored or feel impatient during sales calls. This negative assumption is to your detriment. Rather than surmise that the conversation will be less enjoyable, remain open-minded. Trust that when you’re actively listening, you’ll derive more from meetings with sales prospects than you would otherwise.
You may believe that being a better listener means that you’ll be bored or feel impatient during sales calls. This negative assumption is to your detriment. Rather than surmise that the conversation will be less enjoyable, remain open-minded. Trust that when you’re actively listening, you’ll derive more from meetings with sales prospects than you would otherwise.
Prepare in Advance.
One reason that salespeople struggle to listen to prospects is because they are considering how they’re going to respond to what the prospects are saying. Typically, they’re coming up with good follow-up sales questions. Yet as Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling states, “Your brain is unable to do two things simultaneously. It can either listen OR it can formulate questions to ask. Not both. Just one.” She recommends that rather than formulate questions on the fly, you prepare for sales calls by drawing up a list of questions in advance that you can ask potential clients. When prospects respond to your prepared questions, you’ll feel more comfortable allowing yourself to relax and listen, knowing that you have a list of good questions to draw from. Click HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation”here to watch a 90-second video she created that explains this process in more detail.
One reason that salespeople struggle to listen to prospects is because they are considering how they’re going to respond to what the prospects are saying. Typically, they’re coming up with good follow-up sales questions. Yet as Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling states, “Your brain is unable to do two things simultaneously. It can either listen OR it can formulate questions to ask. Not both. Just one.” She recommends that rather than formulate questions on the fly, you prepare for sales calls by drawing up a list of questions in advance that you can ask potential clients. When prospects respond to your prepared questions, you’ll feel more comfortable allowing yourself to relax and listen, knowing that you have a list of good questions to draw from. Click HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation” HYPERLINK “http://www.jillkonrath.com/sales-blog/bid/160825/One-Easy-Tip-for-a-Successful-Sales-Conversation”here to watch a 90-second video she created that explains this process in more detail.
Remove Distractions.
It’s rare these days that we place our full focus on listening. Oftentimes, we’re adjusting our clothing, glancing at our email, seeing who our latest text was from, etc. Make sure that before trying to listen to someone, you minimize distractions as much as possible. And when your mind is the culprit –with thoughts of what you should eat for dinner and whether the dry cleaning is ready to be picked up–make an effort to catch it in its tracks. Stop and redirect your attention to your prospect. Since great listeners are hard to come by, your prospect will appreciate how intently you’re focusing which will help to build rapport.
It’s rare these days that we place our full focus on listening. Oftentimes, we’re adjusting our clothing, glancing at our email, seeing who our latest text was from, etc. Make sure that before trying to listen to someone, you minimize distractions as much as possible. And when your mind is the culprit –with thoughts of what you should eat for dinner and whether the dry cleaning is ready to be picked up–make an effort to catch it in its tracks. Stop and redirect your attention to your prospect. Since great listeners are hard to come by, your prospect will appreciate how intently you’re focusing which will help to build rapport.
Celebrating 15 years in Business!
Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.
No comments:
Post a Comment