How is active listening used in sales?

A few years back, a friend shared that he had met the greatest salesperson in the world! “Wow,” I exclaimed. “How do you know?”

“He told me so.”

“What did he tell you?” I prodded.

“That he hit the President’s Club more times than anyone in history.”

“Yes, but, how do you know he’s the greatest salesman in the world?” I asked.

“He showed me his trophies and then described in detail all of his techniques. He said he can literally talk to anybody!”

It’s a common stereotype that a great salesperson can “talk to anybody.” The interesting fact is that the opposite is true. What if, instead, you could listen to anybody? A great salesperson emphasizes listening, not talking. I always say, if you really want to make an impact, you need to be interested, not interesting.

The biggest mistake salespeople make is that we don’t listen, we don’t ask questions, and we rarely ask the right questions when we do. We interrupt, respond vaguely, multi-task, fidget and inadvertently show the customer that we really don’t care. Mastering the following active listening activities will help you stay focused and engaged with the people you want to do business with, leading to better conversations, faster decisions, and improved sales performance.

1. Stay In The Game, No Matter What. Even If:

• The customer doesn’t say what you want to hear.
• You think you already know what they are going to say.
• You’re not interested in the conversation.
• You struggle to follow the cadence, pitch, or voice inflection.
• They vehemently disagree with you.

2. Strive For Understanding.

• Listen to the speaker without criticizing or judging.
• Ask the right questions to discover the Dominant Buying Motives, challenges, and concerns.
• Actively focus on what the speaker is saying, not planning your response.
• Concentrate on the person’s meaning, not just the words.
• Ask for clarification to ensure everyone is on the same page.

3. Build Trust.

• Have a mutually agreed purpose and agenda for the meeting.
• Paraphrase your customer to show understanding (restate what you believe you heard).
• Look people in the eyes, especially on virtual meetings
• Use listening body language.

4. Be Emotionally Aware.

• Encourage people to share their thoughts and feelings.
• Allow customers to elaborate on their objections or things you disagree with without interruption.
• Identify which words and phrases are potential emotional triggers for them – and yourself! Then, repeat back their words in follow-up emails and proposals.

As Calvin Coolidge famously said, “No one ever listened themselves out of a job.” These active listening activities take practice, so review them regularly to encourage yourself to listen more and talk less in your sales conversations. But this alone, will not make you a better listener. Listening is more of a mindset than checking off of do’s and don’ts.

Done well, and with consideration, listening will transform your understanding of the people and the world around you, which inevitably enriches and improves your experience and existence. It is how you develop wisdom and form meaningful relationships in sales and in life.

Listen to the short video below where I talk about how it’s not about being heard; it’s about being interested.

Communicating with a customer is just like communicating with a significant other -- if you don't listen as much as you speak, you'll never reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion. It's tempting, of course, to want to dominate the conversation. After all, you have an objective and all the information that you think the customer requires to make a choice. You'll find, however, that listening to the customer's needs -- whether or not they are what you expected -- will make or break your sales technique.

Demonstrating Your Priorities

1. You have two goals in sales: to make the sale and to please the customer. If you don't listen, though, the customer will think that your only priority is to make the sale. When you listen, you demonstrate to the customer that he is an individual with his own business needs -- not just another number or a potential commission in your paycheck. Listening shows that you are invested not just in your own measurable success, but also in giving the customer a personalized and caring experience.

Showing Your Interest

1. You've been taught that every customer matters, and listening is one of your best ways to show that you understand what that means. You have to be as interested in solving the customer's problems as you are in getting your message across -- and the only way you can show that is by actually listening to his concerns. For example, you may have heard the same concern from a hundred potential customers before, and you may have had to address them just as many times. If you allow yourself to appear bored, agitated or impatient every time that concern comes up, your customer may think that you don't take him seriously -- and there goes your sale.

Tailoring Your Response

1. Listening is an active process -- not a passive one. If you only pretend to listen, or you simply bide your time until you can hit your next talking point, you can miss out on valuable information and a key opportunity to form a rapport with your potential client. Even if you know what you want to talk about next, listen carefully to the customer. Then, when he is finished speaking, take a moment to come up with a response that actually responds to what he said. It shows him that you are listening and that you care -- not just that you are pushing through your script.

Reaching a Solution

1. When you listen to your customer, it is easier and faster to reach a mutually beneficial solution. It prevents slip-ups like miscommunications and conflicts that slow down the sales process or even drive customers away. For example, you may think that you know what the customer wants or needs, but you haven't anticipated everything -- and missing out on unexpected information can stall or hurt the sale. Be prepared, but also be prepared to listen so that you can figure out the best solution for everyone.

How do you actively listen in sales?

Why is active listening so important during a customer sales interaction?

What does active listening means in the after sales process?

Is listening an important factor in selling?