I've seen and experienced it time after time. So have you. I can't tell you how painful it is to me to see an otherwise wonderful salesperson talk themselves into -- and out of -- a potential sale.
Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm.
Most knowledgeable, caring salesfolks want more than anything to solve problems with their product or service. This may be their biggest challenge. What they don't understand is that the prospect desires - above anything else at that moment -- to be heard. Just hear me tell you what's wrong, and then we can talk about fixing my problem. Let me vent about the seeming lack of solutions that really work. Allow me to tell you about my dream centered around a utopia without my problem. Hear me.
You may think you're connecting with your prospect, but in fact through your excessive talking you're sending your potential client a completely different message. By re-focusing the conversation or trying to sell your solution too early through stories that compete with theirs, you're actually creating another example in a long line of "the one that got away".
Allow your buyer the luxury of feeling they're being heard. Let them soak in it. For example, in my complimentary consultations I dedicate 10-12 minutes of the 30 minute session to simply hear my prospects tell me what's going on in their life that ultimately brought them to me. They have a problem, and I need to know what it is.
Equally important, they need to feel that I understand what they're saying. While they tell their story, I take a few notes and ask a few active listening questions for clarity and to empathize with them. Now, in less than the time it takes to get my fast food order, they feel I'm a kindred spirit. Because I am. We've really connected. Listening conveys empathy ... and empathy builds trust.
Here are 3 Reasons Active Listening is the Key to Increasing Your Sales:
- Listening encourages your prospect to share important information. The better you know your clients needs, the better you may serve it. Your buyer wants a quality solution that fits her needs exactly.
- Listening builds trust and a bridge to a sense of urgency to act. When your prospective client feels heard, you've created a safe environment for them to share openly. They will allow you to come alongside them, collaborate and help shape their options. From there, you may empower them to act.
- Listening incubates loyalty. Your customers ultimately leave you not for a lower-priced option, but rather because they feel you lost touch with them. A recent study within the past few years in the hospitality industry amazingly showed a higher incidence of repeat business from travelers who'd experienced a problem that was handled well by the hotel vs. those who had experienced no problems at all.
The way you respond to your prospects and customers by listening and then resolving the exact problem they share with you may be more important than making no mistake at all. That is the power of listening well.
And that will flow to your bottom line.
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