The Overlooked Sales Skill That Will Help You Close More Business

While at first the question as to whether you are hearing the words or are actually listening may seem a bit incongruous, the truth is that although hearing and listening may seem the same, they are definitely not synonymous. Just because you hear something, doesn't mean you are actually listening. And when it comes to being an excellent salesperson, being a good listener is primary to your success.

Hearing and Listening Are Not Synonymous

So, what is the difference between hearing and listening? By way of explanation, hearing involves sounds, while listening requires concentration. Hearing is involuntary, while listening is an option. In effect, hearing simply means you are gathering information from the world around you, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are listening. When someone is listening, they are paying attention. Top sales professionals are good at what they do because they know the difference. They are the ones who have mastered the art of sales techniques because they know how important it is to develop the skill of listening. In short, when used effectively, listening is a strategic sales tool that superior salespeople develop for maximum results.

Strategic Sales Techniques

In our every day activities, we hear sounds, and short of wearing earplugs, we have very little control over the sounds we hear. For those with good hearing, we don't simply turn off or turn on our hearing abilities; it's just there. As a result, when someone talks, you may hear their voice uttering sounds, but you may not be listening to what they actually say. By way of illustration, ask any married couple how they hear each other and you'll get very different and very interesting responses. When one doesn't want to hear what the other person is saying, they are really good at turning off their listening abilities. But when it comes to implementing professional selling skills, you cannot and should not turn off your listening abilities. Why? Because you will miss a lot of important clues regarding your potential client's needs. When you turn on your listening skills and truly understand what's being said, you've begun to understand the skill that has eluded the masses. You have in fact, begun mastering professional selling skills. Professional Selling Skills

To explain in a little more detail, think back to your days in school, when you were bombarded with all those reading comprehension tests. Do you remember how many times you might have read something, yet you didn't fully grasp what it said? Just because you read it over and over did not mean you fully understood it. Now, I'm all for "Comprehension" tests, but what we really need in our schools are listening tests. We were given a lot of comprehension and even hearing tests, but no one seems to be aware of the importance of listening. And throughout my years of sales training, I've observed that people who become top sales professionals are good at listening. They are the ones that ultimately make all the money in the marketplace.

Sales Skills Training

Having trained countless sales reps for the past 30 years, I will often ask participants in my sales training programs about their listening skills and whether they believe they are good at listening. More often than not, I hear them say, "I don't think it's a problem." Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. The reason? Most salespeople are not even aware of their listening skills. And because they are on the front line exchanging information daily with existing and potential clients, the information they harvest can and will have a tremendous effect on their sales skills. Consequently, it is critically important that salespeople learn how to listen correctly, although more often than not, they don't believe in its importance. Improving Our Listening Skills And Close More Sales Okay, now that we've defined the difference between hearing and listening, and their importance, let's see what we can do to fix the problem by improving on our listening skills. Let's start with the fact that for the most part, humans actually think faster than they listen and so in order to correct the problem a sales rep must find a way to improve the condition of his or her listening. But how? The answer is simple! A good salesperson will "decide" that they are going to develop good listening skills even if it takes some effort. And no matter how hard it may be, they will implement whatever tools get them there.

Taking the Necessary Steps to Improve Selling/Listening Skills

Since most of us were not taught how to listen, it takes some practice and determination to acquire the skills that make for a better listener. But it isn't all that difficult once you set your mind on it. There are actually several steps you can take that will quickly get you on the road to developing and improving selling/listening skills. And with practice and follow-though, you can become a much better listener and a much better salesperson.

1. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Intensity

While we all have a problem focusing, when speaking with a potential client it's important that you concentrate on the speaker and the speaker's message. If you're listening with interest, you won't be as concerned about selling, but will be more concerned with listening to your potential clients needs. Instead of thinking about what you'll say next, focus intensely on what your prospect is trying to tell you.

2. Validating What You Hear

If you're not sure about something the prospect has said, make it a point to confirm what you think you heard by asking questions. It's best to wait for a brief lull in the conversation rather than interrupting the person speaking, but simply paraphrase what you think you heard in a conversation. That way there are no misunderstandings.

3. Listening Actively During a Sales Appointment

Be more of an active listener. Active listening is a powerful communication tool that is used to improve your ability to understand and comprehend verbal information. The way it's achieved is by confirming major points that have been communicated by the prospect and by voicing your understanding of any points made. In other words, give feedback. In that way you add to your ability to develop rapport, you add to the amount of clarity gained and you add to the overall exchange between you and the potential client.

4. Listen to Your Sales Prospect with Empathy

We all have a host of judgments and opinions, so it's pretty easy to pass judgment on others, particularly if we have a different opinion. But in order to be a good listener, you must put aside your opinions and listen with empathy. When listening with empathy you are putting yourself in the shoes of another person for a moment, which allows you to grasp the needs of the potential client more quickly. Your role is to become a Sales Super Star, not to approve or disapprove. In other words, even if you don't agree with the person, you want to help them find a solution.

5. Watch Your Own Body Language During A Sales Appointment

There is an old saying that says: "What you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you are saying." We do in fact say so much with our body language, our eyes and the nonverbal movements that we make, so we are always sending out messages about what we really feel and think. When you're on the listening end with a potential client, don't fidget, look the person in the eye, and do whatever is necessary to pay attention. You want the person to feel comfortable with you and there is no better way than listening with interest. Great things happen when a prospect feels they are working with a sales rep that "gets it".

6. Encourage Communication

When you listen with interest, you encourage communication. This allows another person to open up to you. If they feel safe, they will trust you. When they trust you, they're interested in what you're selling. Encourage communication by showing interest in what someone shares with you by nodding when they speak. You don't have to agree. You're just showing that you're listening. Don't interrupt when someone is speaking just so that you can have your turn. Wait until there is a pause in the conversation to ask a question and ask only one question at a time.

You Sell More Than a Product or Service

As a salesperson, you are more than simply selling a product or service. You are actually selling a solution. If you keep that uppermost in your mind, you can help your potential client or customer by zeroing in on their needs simply because you're listening. Plus, developing the art of listening instills greater confidence as well as a depth of interest that can make any sales situation a success. After all, to achieve as a Sales Superstar, you must be on the lookout for various ways of making your sales techniques more effective, and one of the best and most important tools is learning to listen!