Reflective Listening is the best sales strategy:

I personally experienced how active or reflective listening is my best sales strategy. Some people tell people how their solutions meet each other’s needs without listening to what their actual needs are. The better you can understand someone’s problems the better you can prepare a solution for them. Because people don’t listen, (without them intending to do so) they over promise and under delivering causing them to assume and present insufficient solutions.

I saw a prospect who needed customer service training for her employees. I contacted her and asked her upfront what she needs and why she needs it. As most of you know I do Engagement Development (in other words motivational growth). So, I did a bit of research and found many websites where she could do the customer service training she needs for her staff, for free. Next, I compared content, customer service with my own soft skills program and could tick off almost all the skills except for the definitions of customer service. Next, in our meeting I gave her the links to the free training, I showed her how what I offer can meet her needs. Why it is worth investing in a long-term development program for her employees, in other words, her monetary gains. (Basically, it will improve her overall company culture and empower her employees which will because of this long-term process gradually also improve their customer service). She was happy with the arrangement and a deal was struck (of course I know how to stack or add value to make the deal sweeter for her since she deserves to get all the trimmings of a good sales deal). So, in my story what should stand out is that I listened to her, I double checked that I could do what I promise, and I did not force my ideas of training onto her without seriously considering her needs.

How to stop being a lazy listener and really pay attention:

1. Be present in your thoughts. Don’t listen to reply. The reply will come to you once you have done your research.

2. Ask questions to get to know the person better and build a professional relationship with them. Eg. How long have you been in business? What are your goals? Etc.

3. Ask questions that help you gain insight. Eg. Do you need your employees to become better with customers or with people in general?

4. Use reflective listening to gain deeper reasons behind what you hear. (This is to affirm with words what the person is saying by repeating back their words to them)

5. Research their needs properly. – make sure of all your facts. If you say you are better, you better be able to support this and deliver on it.

6. Add value by thinking out of the box (don’t be afraid to customize and personalize your product or service to give your prospect exactly and if possible better than what they would have gotten without you)

7. Make notes during calls and meetings to do better research or to double check your facts.

8. People don’t buy things or services they buy from you as a person, so don’t be afraid to let your true personality shine through.

9. Because of the statement above it is important to make enough eye contact, have a trusting body posture (which I believe you will have almost automatically if you took the time to first get to know the person you are meeting with)

10. End off the meeting or sale with close off action steps. Eg. I will email you the information and start with this. – then make sure you uphold your action steps by doing them.

I believe we will always have better sales if we are better listeners, not just for the reasons above but because it’s a basic human need to feel understood. And often when we don’t listen carefully, we let someone feel like we don’t understand or even care. Like we live on different planets. Care enough to listen right.

Keep Improving

The Ameliorate Team

#listening; #hearing; #Sales; #Caring; #SelfDevelopment