–Proverbs 18:2

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Sales commandment…

Thou shall not interrupt or talk over a prospect or customer.

Have you ever considered how ridiculous it is to do this?

Why does it happen? It could be the excitement of how well your offering meets their need, poor listening training, ego (Let me show you what I know instead of learning what you need!), or just plain rudeness.

Here’s an idea…

When you and your team are talking with your prospects and customers, be sure to drop a small gap of silence in between what they say… and your response – just an extra second or so.

Do it when you’re asking your questions about their challenges and needs and in general conversation. Not only will it improve your rapport, but in many cases, you’ll also enjoy the extra information you learn when the other person continues to talk.

This is thoughtful listening and one of the surest ways to make a better connection with your prospects and customers.

Practice it with your team in your daily discussions. Practice it with your friends and family in your personal discussions.

In your sales efforts, make it your habit.

You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

(Gap of Silence printable reminder)
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How are you doing with your LUKSA revolution?

Have you ever considered how ridiculous it is to do this?

Why does it happen? Could be the excitement of how well your offering meets their need, poor listening training, ego (Let me show you what I know instead of learning what you need!), or just plain rudeness.

Here’s an idea…

When you and your team are talking with your prospects and customers, be sure to drop a small gap of silence in between what they say… and your response – just an extra second or two.

Do it when you’re asking your questions about their challenges and needs and during general conversation. Not only will it improve your rapport, but in many cases, you’ll also enjoy the extra information you learn when the other person continues to talk.

This is thoughtful listening and one of the surest ways to make a better connection with your prospects and customers.

Practice it with your team in your daily discussions. Practice it with your friends and family in your personal discussions.

In your sales efforts, make it your habit.

You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

Get the Listen > Talk wristband

____________________

"The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause."

Mark Twain (1835–1910)
American writer

Now go sell something.~>

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Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

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Copyright © 2010 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of JustSell.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).

Not only will it help you maximize your time by minimizing miscommunication, but also it’ll send the right message.

Don’t let a phone call interrupt an in-person conversation. Don’t let your email distract you from a phone call. Don’t let a passerby, instant messenger, berry, or ithing take your attention away from someone standing right in front of you (or on the phone).

Sales is an interpersonal profession.

Anything less than your full attention sends a message of arrogance – a message of condescension – a message no one (including ourselves) enjoys being on the receiving end of (and certainly not when we’re the prospect or customer). For those who lead a team, set the example.

Give your attention today, and every day, to one person at a time – the person in front of you (on the phone or not) – and Just Sell®.

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How to give complete attention…

1. Maintain eye contact and face the person.
2. Acknowledge key points with a nod, smile or brief comment (“I see” or “I understand”).
3. Avoid interrupting and wait for the person to pause fully before asking questions to clarify. Ask only to better understand and avoid unrelated questions that can disrupt the person’s train of thought.
4. Dismiss distractions and acknowledge phones, email, instant messengers, and other people following the current interaction.
5. Confirm understanding by rephrasing pertinent discussion issues.

Now go give someone your complete attention.~>

Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

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Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)
American writer and salesman

Remembering a name immediately establishes you as someone who listens… someone who cares… two very important characteristics in sales and life.

Here’s how…

1 – Give full attention (focus)

• Make a conscious effort to listen and remember.
• Introduce yourself first so you can give your full attention to others.
• Focus on physical characteristics to form a detailed impression.

2 – Repeat the name

• Repeat the name silently to yourself.
• Say the name within 20 seconds of the introduction to confirm it’s correct.
• Use the name again mid-conversation.
• Repeat the name when saying goodbye.
• Write it down after leaving.

3 – Make an association

• Connect the name with a famous person or image. Imagine a Jerry as sports agent Jerry Maguire or a Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe (or Marilyn Manson depending on the Marilyn)
• Come up with a rhyme (rap if it’s your thing) or alliteration associated with a physical attribute, unusual feature or overall impression of the person (Bob’s a slob… Dave needs a shave… Tall Tonya… Frank’s flat forehead).
• Picture the name written (in your favorite color) on the person’s forehead – a favorite trick of President Roosevelt (FDR), who, according to CNN, amazed his staff by remembering the names of nearly everyone he met.
• Imagine writing the name with your fingers while saying it silently to yourself (using very small movements so you don’t draw attention to your hand or make people think you’re sending a signal to a friend)

The simplest way to do this is to forget about yourself, your company, your products, and your competition.

Focus only on the discussion and them. Be real. Ask questions and listen.

Care for them and they’ll more likely care for you.

(grab the printable reminder to the left)

They help you gather information, qualify sales opportunities, and establish rapport, trust and credibility.

If you consider yourself a professional, own (absolutely know) a repertoire of powerful open-ended questions… questions that are answered by more than a simple yes or no… questions where the prospect/ customer gets directly involved in the sales discussion.

The key here…

Ask the question and let the prospect/ customer give you their answer.

No leading.
No prompting.
No interrupting.

Just in case you’ve not had the opportunity to put yours down in writing, here are some of our favorites. You should have several additional questions specific to your industry, but these’ll get you more than started.

Write down the ones you find valuable. Memorize them with your team. Practice them on your drive in or on the way to your next appointment. Print them out. Post them near your phone. Pass them on to your team.

It’s all about sales®.

If you like these questions, you might also like the author’s message on commitment called Cross The Line. Use this link to watch the quick little video.

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Information gathering

What prompted you/ your company to look into this?
What are your expectations/ requirements for this product/ service?
What process did you go through to determine your needs?
How do you see this happening?
What is it that you’d like to see accomplished?
With whom have you had success in the past?
With whom have you had difficulties in the past?
Can you help me understand that a little better?
What does that mean?
How does that process work now?
What challenges does that process create?
What challenges has that created in the past?
What are the best things about that process?
What other items should we discuss?

Qualifying

What do you see as the next action steps?
What is your timeline for implementing/ purchasing this type of service/ product?
What other data points should we know before moving forward?
What budget has been established for this?
What are your thoughts?
Who else is involved in this decision?
What could make this no longer a priority?
What’s changed since we last talked?
What concerns do you have?

Establishing rapport, trust & credibility

How did you get involved in…?
What kind of challenges are you facing?
What’s the most important priority to you with this? Why?
What other issues are important to you?
What would you like to see improved?
How do you measure that?

Now go sell something.~>

(remember: no leading… no prompting… no interrupting… seriously.)

If you like these questions, you might also like the author’s message on commitment called Cross The Line. Use this link to watch the quick little video.

__________

Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter

Copyright © 1998 – 2011 by Give More Media Inc. This was written by Sam Parker. If you’d like to tell people about it somewhere (e.g., blog, newsletter, Facebook, social media), please reference Sam Parker of JustSell.com as the author and link directly to the article. Excerpts are great but please don’t publish the article in its entirety without advanced written permission (email Sam using the address at the bottom of this page).