Listening Clues

Hearing

Hearing refers to being able to detect sound. Listening is deriving meaning from sounds that are heard. Not everything you hear is worth your undivided attention. For the salesperson, however, listening is a communication skill critical to success.

Salespeople often believe that their job is to talk rather than to listen. If they both talk and listen, their persuasive powers increase. Since people can listen (about 400 words per minute) twice as fast as the average rate of speech, it is understandable that a person’s mind may wander while listening to a salesperson’s presentation or that the salesperson may tune out a prospect. To keep the buyer listening, ask questions, get the buyer involved in the conversation and show visual aids. Once you ask a question, listen carefully to what is said.

Listen ‘between the lines’ for what is not said. Some people reveal more in what they do not say. This is partly due to the emotional content of the message and partly due to the information they give you. A story illustrates this point:

A salesperson was talking to the president of a large paper mill, “I simply asked him what kind of training he had for his salespeople. He went into a long discourse on all the seminars, training films, videotapes, and cassettes they had from the parent company, suppliers, industry associations and in-house programmes. I sat, listened, and took notes. At the end of his speech, I said to him, “I noticed you did not mention anything about time management for salespeople.” He raised his voice and emphatically said, “You know, just this morning I was talking to a guy and I told him we have to have some time-management training for our salespeople.”

Listen for Needs

As soon as you have introduced yourself and asked if you can help, concentrate on listening. Do not think about what you are going to say next and avoid interrupting the customer.

You will avoid missing any information and any later confusion that this may cause.

It is always also useful to have pen and paper ready to make a note of pertinent information. Reading your notes back to the customer will check your understanding of the customer’s requirements and will show the customer that you have been listening and take his need seriously. These notes will ensure that you do not need to repeat the conversation unnecessarily.

Listening is particularly important; you have two ears and one mouth, use them in that ratio.