Sales Strategy
Active Listening Improves Sales | October 28, 2015 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—It’s easy as a human, especially as a salesperson, to forget to actively listen to your co-workers, friends and customers.
Active listening is defined as listening with all your senses to the speaker. Make eye contact. Do not be thinking of your next response—listen to the words, the ideas, the meaning. Fully concentrate on what is being said.
The legendary sales trainer Dale Carnegie was a proponent of active listening. He felt active listening led to questions, which further helped develop a relationship between a sales person and the customer. Carnegie said, “So if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering.”
This works in most situations and perhaps best of all in a selling situation. Fully and actively listening to your customer will help guide you to the best product to show and perhaps sell to them.
Dale Carnegie. Image: www.dalecarnegie.com
It’s also a smart idea to recap what the customer has told you as you are showing him or her the product that meets the criteria. It shows you are listening and also repeats the criteria back to them, reinforcing the jewelry you are showing. It can be hard to pay attention and not be planning your next sentence. To help, try mentally echoing what the speaker is saying, as they are saying it.
It can be easy to stand out in the crowd with this attitude. Most sales people talk too much and likely, that’s what your customer is used to hearing. Don’t interrupt and listen for emotions in what they say. Connect on this level and your sales are sure to soar!
Top image: curetinnitus.link