listening in sales
White Magic in Sales
Vocabulary
| achieve | ought to | dispensable |
| vital | presence | indispensable |
| resolve | situation | satisfaction |
| effective | therefore | gift of the gab |
| personal | extrovert | easy-going |
| rather | prospect | in order to |
| ratio | dominate | foundation |
| secure | introvert | reputation |
| readily | proportion | supposed to |
Achievements
Let me guess. You are not achieving and getting the things you truly want in life. And you’ve wondered why.
Well, it may be because you’re not communicating as effectively as you should be.
And so you need to learn the TRUTH about personal communication and what it can do for you. You must discover the SECRET of effective communication — and put it to use for you.
Take sales for example.
Sales Success
Did you know that a vital key to sales success is listening?
That’s right.
Good listening is indispensable for success in all human relationships. Therefore the ability to listen well in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of selling.
It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater satisfaction in a sales career.
Being A Good Talker is Not Enough
Many salespeople believe that, in order to be good in sales, you must be a good talker. You’ve heard people say, “You have the ‘gift of the gab’; you ought to be in sales!”
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
Focus On the Other Person
As many as 75% of all top salespeople are defined as introverts on psychological tests.
They are very easy going and others-centered. They would much rather listen than talk. They are very interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people.
And they are quite comfortable sitting and listening to their prospects. Indeed they would much rather listen than talk in a sales situation.
Poor salespeople dominate the talking; top salespeople dominate the listening.
Practice “White Magic” With Everyone
Listening has been called “white magic.” However it is seldom practiced by business people.
But when a salesperson develops a reputation for being an excellent listener, prospects and customers feel comfortable and secure in his or her presence.
As a result, they buy more readily, and more often.
Practice the 70/30 Rule
It’s been said that God gave humans two ears and one mouth, and we are supposed to use them in that proportion.
Top salespeople practice the “70/30 rule.” They talk and ask questions 30 percent or less of the time while they listen intently to their customers 70 percent or more of the time. They use their ears and mouth in the right ratio.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, resolve today that, from now on, you are going to dominate the listening in every sales conversation. Become comfortable with silence.
Second, practice the 70/30 rule in every sales conversation. Listen 70% of the time and only talk and ask questions 30% of the time.
Questions
1. According to the text, the secret of success in business is good, effective communication. True or false?
2. To be a good salesperson, you must only be good at presenting, describing and featuring your product or service. Is this correct or wrong?
3. Are most successful salespeople introverts or extroverts?
4. What is the difference between excellent salespeople and mediocre salespeople?
5. How do customers and prospects feel when they are with a good listener?
6. “You have two ears and one mouth.” What does this mean?
A. Do people in your town or city rather talk or listen more, or is it 50-59?
B. Describe the salespeople in your city or town.
C. Would you prefer salespeople who talks or listens more?
D. I have to negotiate with prospects and clients. Yes or no? What do you sell?
E. What will sales be like in the future?
