techslog

The book is called "Time to Think" written by Nancy Kline. I wanted to share with you some "pearls" from this in- depth book that can perhaps help you to be a better listener in your sales calls, thus increasing your earning potential.

Why you might ask should you be a better listener?

Simple grasshopper, because listening has been squeezed out of our lives both in our personal and professional spaces. If you create an environement in your sales call that offers the ability for your customer to speak freely, you are doing more for them than even perhaps their families allow.

Here are some important things to consider, listening involves at first thinking. As Nancy relates- everything we do depends for it's quality on the thinking we do first. Preperation for the sales call is important- knowing the company, their goals, their competiters etc , shows your knowledge of their organization and that you are not on the call for them to educate you in the basics. However, you are there to learn their needs, their wants and their desires. Ironically active listening can sometimes expose the real needs that even your client did not realize- as they are buried underneath "requirements" and other corporate stuff.

Listening- active listening can ignite their mind and allow them to see more of the potential of what they are trying to accomplish. I think we all have an example of a bad sales rep that comes into a sales call; vomits feature, function's and benefits onto their client and subsequently leaves the client with a puzzled look on their face and then tries to close for the next step in their sales process.

As the buyer, they see just another sales rep doing their "sales thing", and dotting the i's and crossing the t's. They are nothing but a live power point slide; presenting their bulleted points and asking what they think are good questions.

Now let's imagine the sales rep that comes into the call with the goal of establishing what Nancly calls a "Thinking environment" Where the thinking depends on the quality of our attention for each other. This sales rep is not "thinking ahead" in their mind, but engaged in the present- both physically and mentally. Your focus is on the buyer, hearing what they have to say and asking to clarify anything that you might not know. Asking to clarify does not mean you are not listening or stupid, but shows that you ARE listening and want to better understand the point your buyer is trying to convey.

This "Thinking enviroment" offers a place where good ideas can be produced, by BOTH parties, and the actions that come out of this environment are beneficial to both organizations, and as such the people involved flourish. This is the process of developing a partnership, a relationship that benefits both parties.

Again, why should we produce this environment for our customers? Because change is the nature of the beast these days in organizations, and the susequent fear that comes from these changes constricts our vision. Because this out-of-control chaos permeates our clients lives, it is really hard for people to have an enviroment that supports listening and subsequently thinking. Organizations are doing more with less, and frankly they don't take the time to think, they just do it.

While that slogan worked well for Nike; your tool for life is the mastery of the art of listening. It can be your silver bullet, golden egg and magic key all wrapped up in one. Your competitors maybe to busy chasing the next holy grail, but the ability to provide this environment will be priceless to you and to your clients.

Below please find some good articles that highlight listening skills and the value they can bring to your sales calls.

Give it a try on your next sales call, and be surpirised by the results. Happy Listening!

Hope Blaythorne

Better listening skills equal more money