Listen to the Customer

Now, with all this planning, and all the ideas you have collected, you will need to listen carefully to what the customer actually says and not filter what you hear. This means that the whole plan you have put together may need to be revamped on the fly when the customer intimates something different from what you expected. Remember the last time you were so focused on closing that you overlooked an opportunity or a key phrase that the customer shared with you? How well were you listening to the deeper level in the phone conversation? You need to focus on the hidden messages.

Customer interest selling is a conversation. It is easier to get someone to engage, when you let that person talk. Then, steering the prospect into your goal area topics will be much smoother—not to mention how much easier it is to get a customers to take your call when they know you will respond to them where they are mentally.

Keep in mind that all salespeople look alike on the phone, and with both internal and external salespeople calling your customer all day with their own needs and pitches, customers will remember you as the one who listened for a change. This subtle difference will make your call more memorable.

Suddenly, you won’t be just another one of those people who calls with machine-gun blasts of feature dumps. In addition, you will clearly differentiate yourself from the customary interrogation method used by many strong-arm–type phone salespeople. You will be the one who “gets” what the customer is saying, and as a result, closes the sale!