Are you paying attention when your prospect says, "I'm ready to buy?" Seldom will they be that blunt; you have to listen to the buying signals they might send you. Buying signals can be verbal or maybe just a bit of body language. Pay attention to your customer. Don't get so wrapped up in your presentation that you miss an opportunity to move right in for the close. More than one salesperson has talked their prospect out of the sale after they were ready to buy.
Here are 10 guides for effective listening. Practice these to make sure your prospect has the opportunity to say YES!
1. Stop Talking! You can't listen if you are talking. Your prospect should be doing most of the talking. If the prospect is talking, you are getting an open door to his or her concerns, giving you a chance to answer any objections.
2. Put your prospect at ease. When you walk in the door or call on the phone you are perceived as a salesperson, a time-waster, someone to get rid of ASAP. Instead, approach your prospect by being a solution provider who has value to the merchant and an idea worth listening to.
3. Show your prospects that you want to listen. Look, act, and sound interested in their specific problems. Be prepared to listen for the chance to provide the perfect blend of answers for their specific problems.
4. Remove distractions. Don't doodle, tap your pencil, shuffle papers, or look around the room. Your prospect should have 100% of your attention.
5. Empathize with your prospects. If you are listening you can reiterate your prospects' concerns. Restate questions or statements both for your own understanding and to make your prospects happy that you are aware and knowledgeable of their special situations.
6. Be patient. Allow plenty of time for your prospects to speak. Do not interrupt your prospects; don't finish their sentences for them.
7. Hold your temper. If your prospect gets angry or has taken the wrong meaning from your own words, take a deep breath and look at it as an objection, another opportunity to move one more step towards your close.
8. Go easy on argument and criticism. This puts people on the defensive and they may "clam up." Don't criticize the competition. Compare your product against the competition. If you argue or criticize your prospect, even if you win, you will probably lose.
9. Ask questions. This encourages your prospect and shows that you are listening. Asking the right questions allows you to develop your point further.
10. Stop Talking! This is the first and last thing to remember. All of the other guides depend on it. You cannot do an effective job of listening while you are talking.
Who said it first?
Nature gave people two ears but only one tongue, which is a gentle hint that they should listen more than they talk.
Listening requires two ears, one for meaning and one for feeling.
Salespeople who do not listen have less information for making sound proposals.
We don't know who said it first, but the suggestions are hard to argue with.
Paul H. Green
Editor-in-Chief
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