An often overlooked sales skill is listening. And I mean really listening. To the point of “zipping it!” Listening is a pre-requisite for persuasion. If your client or prospect doesn’ t feel heard, they will resist your offer.
Here’s what I tell my clients who want better sales results: Listen with the intention to hear. So often we fall into the bad habit of listening with the intention to answer without really hearing what’s said. This is flat out dangerous. It costs you sales.
For example, when coaching sales people on questioning skills, I encourage them to stay in questioning mode much longer than what feels normal to them. And, I suggest they ask better quality questions to fully understand their clients’ needs.
But when I observe them in the field or during role-play, I notice that it isn’t just questioning skills that need attention. They aren’t listening deeply to the answers that their clients are offering them. Instead, they’re focusing on their next question. A golden nugget is offered up by the client or prospect, and the sales person doesn’t even hear it. They miss the opportunity to dig deeper and go for more gold.
Poor listening also shows up when responding to objections. Instead of getting defensive and reacting to the objections with quick answers, ask more questions first to fully understand the concern and what lies beneath it. And then, again, really listen to the answers. Continue reading “How Listening and Sales Go Together”
In the work I do helping sales people to become more effective, we focus a lot on questioning skills. Let’s assume it’s your intent to ask questions in order to uncover your customer’s needs, likes, dislikes and perspectives. Here’s a typical question that is used by many sales professionals.
“If I could show you a way to easily solve your problem, would that be of interest to you?”
Let’s look at this question and examine why it isn’t effective.
Here are just a few reasons:
- The intention behind the question is not one of curiosity about your customer’s needs; it is a leading question that is about you.
- It is a closed question and the only information you will glean is a “yes” or “no”. More importantly, it is a ‘gotcha’ question because the only logical answer is yes.
- It is a question that leads right into a pitch. As soon as the customer answers the question (yes), the next words that will come out of your mouth will be pitching words. Continue reading “Pitching Disguised As Questions”
Jim Bentley (name changed) is a well respected, seasoned sales professional with solid expertise in the financial services industry. He has long standing clients, with whom he enjoys excellent relationships. He is one of the top sales producers for his company. In spite of his sales success, he almost missed out on solidifying one of his best client relationships.
Jim participated in the Intentional Selling™ program as part of a company wide initiative. Part of the training process includes identifying limiting assumptions that might unconsciously block sales success. Jim became aware of the following limiting beliefs: Continue reading “Favourite Client Stories: How Jim’s Success Almost Got in His Way”
Questions will help you persuade more powerfully than any other selling behaviour. Yet the number one error that I consistently see sales professionals make is not asking enough questions to clarify the needs of their clients.
In my sales training and coaching, I’ve seen even seasoned sales professionals lead with their product, solution or ideas rather than leading with questions. Pitching product (showing up and “throwing up”) is hoping that if I talk about my product enough, something will stick. But it will annoy, overwhelm and cause your client to shrug and think “So what?” Whether you’re conducting sales meetings or delivering presentations, product pitching simply does not work. If you do not take the time to fully uncover the real needs of your client or audience, you are sabotaging your sales success.
Many sales people are under the misguided assumption that they do ask questions. But I have seen the most seasoned sales professionals fall short time and again. While they may start off asking a few questions, the minute they hear “a need,” they jump in with how their solutions will address the concern rather than asking more questions to get underneath the concern and to understand the impact of the problems. Continue reading “Top Sales Errors: Why Pitching Product Doesn’t Work”
An often overlooked sales skill is listening. And I mean really listening. To the point of “zipping it!” Listening is a pre-requisite for persuasion. If your client or prospect doesn’ t feel heard, they will resist your offer.
Connect With Us!