Our role in the sales situation alternates between sender and receiver of messages. The very best sales professionals devote a large portion of the sales interview to listening.
"Creative ability" is geared to perceptiveness. Our ears are as important to perception as our eyes.
Understanding people and "human motivation" demands alertness to behaviour clues. Among the most important clues are the words people use.
"Human relations" is all about helping others like themselves. Sincere listening demonstrates sincere interest.
The best sales approach begins with a question. Listening for the answer is our guidepost to the right road.
Solutions to problems are based on what we hear in answer to the questions we've asked and good listening is the shortest distance between us and more sales; better sales, faster sales.
Good listening is a skill that requires much conscious practice.
There are many bad listening habits common to most of us:
• We lable subjects dull and uninteresting and tune out.
• We look only for facts, not ideas.
• We stress the speaker's manner of delivery and speech habits and ignore the contents of their words.
• We let our emotions colour and obscure the inflow. (We judge before we understand, and lose the thread.)
• We permit ourselves to be distracted.
• We pretend to listen but we don't hear
• We go off on mental tangents.
These poor listening habits are "pick-pockets" that rob us into mental and sales poverty. Be alert to them and avoid them.
Good listening is real work. But there are many things in our favour. Average speech speed is 125 words per minute. We can listen six times as fast. This gives the listener a time advantage over the speaker.
The good listener applies the "EARS" Formula to exploit this advantage. They:
Evaluate - search for evidence that the speaker might use to support their statements
Anticipate - tries to predict what the next point will be
Review - mentally summarises the main points the speaker has covered
Speculate - read between the lines to ask: "What is he/she really saying?"
It pays also to listen with your eyes as well as your ears. Frequently a gesture or an expression, will reveal as much or more than words.
Remember too, communication involves four steps:
Step One: Sensing the message and the stimuli that goes with it
Step Two: Interpreting it (to be sure you understand)
Step Three: Evaluating it (never judge before you understand)
Step Four: Reacting (either verbally or non-verbally)
And Finally - Some additional hints on listening:
• Be neutral. Let the other person have their full say.
• Give them complete attention... and reinforcement.
• If appropriate, ask them to explain further.
• Rephrase their main points and "play them back" to them...to help them see if they have said exactly what they wanted to say, and to make sure you understand.
• Put their "feelings" into words. This will help them evaluate and perhaps modify their statement...and it gives further evidence of your understanding.
• At the appropriate time, get agreement. Summarise what you have both said as a preparation for the next step. If possible, have them suggest the course of action.
Listening really is that important: First we seek to understand, and we cannot do that, unless we listen.
I think you will also enjoy: "How To Become An Active Listener"
Today's News: I have a couple of really excellent events to share with you, but unfortunately, the copy didn't arrive on time. However, I can confirm that the latest Top Sales Experts ebook launched to very loud "hurrahs" - if you haven't downloaded your FREE copy yet, just click on the banner below.
Our graphics guy, Bill Jeckells, who was responsible for putting the masterpiece together, has been at it again - I asked if we could have a single leaf design, that incorporated the TSE logo - this is what he sent through last night!
Tomorrow: On the JF Guest Author Spot I welcome Dan Adams.
Link to original post