Good salespeople are typically viewed as smooth talkers who can woo their audience with their words, when the truth is that the best salespeople listen more than they talk.
Everyone knows how to listen, but few people do it well. As a sales manager once told me: “My salespeople like to listen—to themselves talk.”
I’ll reemphasize the obvious: You need to listen to prospects in order to be most effective. I’ll also share a few techniques to help you become even better at it.
The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.
—Mark Twain
Perhaps you already do it well. Most people don’t. Right now, just be silent for two seconds.
There, you did it. That’s all I’m asking.
Pause … more on your Smart Calls and in all of your conversations. Make an effort to pause at two points in the communications process on the phone and off:
Not just a brief pause, but a two- to three-second pause. Here are some of the benefits of this technique:
He had occasional flashes of silence that made his conversation perfectly delightful.
—Sydney Smith
I know this can be difficult for people who get edgy when there’s silence on a call. Here’s how to get over that and resist the urge to jump in or keep talking: Just picture the scenario when you’re with people in person, keeping in mind what they’re doing during the silent times—thinking, stroking their chin, eyes gazing upward, pondering your offer. They are doing the same on the phone. Practice this on the phone and in all areas of your life. You’ll find you get more information than ever.
If you have a tendency to interrupt, hold your breath for two or three seconds before speaking. This ensures they are done, and gives you an opportunity to think of your next statement or question.
On my own past four sales calls with prospects who contacted me looking for training, I listened very carefully and looked for their key words. I heard:
Of course, I took notes and wrote down exactly what they said, and after hearing each one, I simply replied, “Tell me more about that.” All of them continued, pouring out their problems. It’s a lot easier when people sell themselves. We often just need to get out of the way.
Sales pro Tim Spreda shared the story of how one of his prospects, a buyer for a manufacturing operation, repeated the terms “safety” and “ergonomics” in almost every sentence. Naturally, Tim focused his recommendation on those areas and he used those words.
Also, when I am on discovery calls with prospective training clients I always record them. I’ll take notes on their specific words and phrases, but sometimes I miss things in real time. By listening to the recording I can identify things I might have missed and use them word-for-word in the proposal. It’s almost like they have written it themselves, which of course will resonate with them.
I was having dinner at a nice Italian restaurant while on a speaking engagement in Chicago. My waiter was outstanding: very attentive, but not hovering. It seemed as though he always magically appeared at the right moment. However, one thing about him seemed a bit unusual: He didn’t make eye contact when he spoke. Every time he talked, he would look down at his shoes. It definitely affected my overall perception of him and even made me a bit uncomfortable.
Of course, my prospect and I can’t see each other by phone, but we can feel the same vibes created by eye contact or lack thereof. Let’s look at some ways to make that connection by phone.
When we talk to someone in person, we use facial expressions and body language to indicate that we’re interested in the conversation. But what do you do by phone? Be sure that you’re sprinkling in, and mixing up your use of, such words and phrases as:
Similar to the verbal nods, these further encourage the speaker to continue talking:
An author and podcaster I find entertaining and interesting is James Altucher. He has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life. In one of his newsletters he talked about how he practices “extreme listening,” and how it helps him to better understand people and ask stronger follow-up questions.
I’ve applied a few of his techniques to sales:
Want to know a secret? Sure you do; everyone does. Be particularly aware of what prospects and customers say when they lower their voices so as to not be heard by others in their area. This is typically sensitive and important information.
In his book How to Get People to Do Things, Robert Conklin shares results from a six-month-long study of salespeople. He found that the lowest 10% of a sales force talked an average of 30 minutes per presentation, while the top 10% talked for 12 minutes.
A sales rep for a cooking magazine I subscribed to called and said, “The reason I’m calling is that your subscription runs out this month, and I was calling to see if you wanted to keep that going … orrrrrrrrr what you wanted to do …” (nervous pause) “orrrrrrr if you just wanted to let it run out?”
Even though I had not given any thought to my plans regarding the subscription, his hanging orrrs and invitation for a no finalized my decision. He made it so easy to agree, “Yeah, just go ahead and let it run out.” The law of inertia would have been in his favor if he had chosen to stop talking and avoided the orrr and invitation after making his positive suggestion.
There are several elementary points here that carry so much impact—and they’re violated regularly.
Here’s another example. After getting the question “What is your best price?” I heard a sales rep say, “Well, it’s $799.”
No reaction from the prospect.
“… but we could probably give you a $150 new customer discount.”
No reaction from the prospect.
“And I probably can get another $80 knocked off.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” said the prospect—who probably would have bought at full price had the rep simply stated the price and shut up.
Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.
—Robert Greenleaf
What else will you commit to do as a result of this chapter?
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