Listening
Skills for Sales Reps
There is a general
impression held by many both inside and outside the business world
that salesmen
are full of hot air. Many people associate the sales
profession with the smooth-talking car salesman who wants to
sell you a car that was owned by the proverbial little old lady
who only drove it to church on Sundays. Reality is that most sales
people are average everyday
individuals who are friendly and considerate
and have friends and families, just like people who are accountants,
engineers, journalists, architects, house painters, scientists and
the like.
Unfortunately,
it’s hard to travel far without coming across a sales
rep who likes to talk, talk, talk and push, push, push. The
most common personality types found in sales are admittedly not
the best listeners. They can be impatient and more focused on closing
the sale rather than listening to their customer’s needs. Even the
best sales
professionals can use a refresher on how to listen effectively.
Effective
Listening Entails…
-
Paying
attention to the customer
- Asking
appropriate questions
-
Testing
for understanding
- Empathizing
with the customer
- Assuming
value in the customer’s
statements
Effective Listening Avoids
- Holding
more than one conversation at a time
- Interrupting
a
customer
- Changing
subject or jumping from one topic to another
To
become a more effective listener, we teach sales professionals to
utilize the “LISTEN” communications
model. This process increases personal effectiveness when selling
or even dealing with others outside of the workplace.
L Look Interested
I Inquire
with facilitative questions
S Summarize
mentally what your customer is saying
T Test your
understanding by paraphrasing information
E Empathize when
a customer has
a strong feeling or emotional reaction
N Neutralize
your feelings and learn to remain non-judgmental
Using
this model, you will demonstrate to your customer
that you care about their needs and are focused on finding an appropriate
solution to their concerns. Effective listening skills help you
establish rapport
and improve your credibility. If you’re not listening to what your
customer is telling you, how can you expect to recommend an appropriate
solution?
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