Talk Less to Sell More
“Most people think “selling” is the same as “talking”. But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job.”
– Roy Bartell
Have you noticed that successful people talk less and listen more?
I’ve heard experts say that successful salespeople spend at least 60% listening and 40% talking. I believe a ratio of 70% to 30% is more realistic.
Establishing the need for your service demands good active listening skills. You can’t focus on what the prospect is saying if you’re silently rehearsing your presentation. Your job is to listen and respond. Your presentation will develop from there.
Let’s suppose you go to first meeting and think you’re doing everything right. You’re listening, responding, bonding at a person-to-person level and you leave optimistic that you’ve made the sale. But you didn’t. When you follow up, he tells you he’s decided to go with another company. It happens to all of us.
We can’t control outcomes. It may have nothing to do with us. It may have something to do with us. The only thing we can do is learn and move on.
When we review the meeting in our heads, we’re still focused on the prospect. Were there verbal or non-verbal clues we could have picked up on? Would that have changed how we delivered our message? We tend to forget that active listening is a two way street and that our prospect looks for clues in us too, to see if our words and are actions convey not only responsiveness, but believability, authenticity and trust.
We all have habits, routines and responses that we’ve developed over the years that have become so ingrained in our lives that they simply become part of us. We’re not aware of their impact on others. Ask yourself these questions to help you determine if what you do unconsciously could be a factor to a lost sale.
- Do you need an attitude adjustment before you walk through the door? If you’re grumbling to yourself about a problem at home or at the office you can’t be positive and focused on giving your best presentation.
- Do you talk too much? Sometimes when we listen we try to show our empathy by commiserating or relating to something the prospect has said. In your head, you may think you’re bonding, but in reality, all you’re doing is shifting the conversation to you and away from them.
- Do you make assumptions? We ‘read in’ to what we think the prospect said and end up telling them what we think they need. Bite your tongue. Ask a question. Let them tell you. Oftentimes it provides the perfect opportunity to describe how your product is the best solution.
- Do you look at the prospect or are you too busy jotting notes? Make sure your body language ‘tells’ the prospect you’re paying attention. No slouching. Acknowledge what he’s saying non-verbally, with a nod or a smile. It shows you’re involved.
- Do you become distracted by your surroundings? The fly on the wall could care less.
Start becoming aware of your own habits and patterns. Practice ‘active listening’ with a friend or partner who can provide good feedback.
If you’re ever at a loss for words, ask questions. It makes others feel important, and good about themselves. And, we all know that when people feel good about themselves, they feel good about you too.
“Excellence is not a skill. It’s an attitude.”
– Ralph Marston