Your sales people are given quotas and then thrust out into the world to sell the products and services that you have available. They target those who meet the desirable demographics and have developed – or been given – a list of qualification questions to ask. But the key factor in their success may in fact be their ability to listen.
Listening is one of the most fundamental strengths of those in sales, and still, with all of the distractions of today how often do any of us genuinely listen?
When we think of a person in sales, we often think of a persuasive and knowledgable man or woman who has all the right words to sway us into a purchase. But research shows that people who are good listeners are more influential than people who talk more than they listen. This is because listening helps people obtain information and build trust, both of which increase a person’s influence.
Many times we make assumptions without listening. Listening allows us to catch all of those subtle ques that give us insight into a person’s needs or wants. Effective sales reps are aware and listen with all five senses. They observe body language, they analyze eye contact, and they don’t talk unnecessarily through silences or breaks in their customer’s speech.
Developing listening skills gives your sales reps the tools to tailor their sales pitch, tailor their presentation or highlight certain aspects of the product or service that will appeal most to the audience. And of course they perceive stated or unstated objections and develop ways to overcome them.
Listening is a key component of the Behavioral EQ Model. Assessing listening skills measures the ability to accurately listen and display an understanding of what is being communicated.
