How to Listen
by Willy Gissen, President, Cut-It-Out Communications, Inc.
In The Psychology of Selling, the author, Brain Tracy, provides a basic sales primer with chapters on Why People Buy, Getting More Appointments and Making the Sale. But for me, the most interesting section was buried in the middle and outlined five steps on how to listen. Here are some key excerpts:
1. Listen Attentively: "Listen without any attempt to leap in and share your own ideas...Imagine that your eyes are sun lamps and you want to give your prospect's face a tan."
2. Pause Before Replying: "When the prospect finishes speaking, pause and wait for three to five seconds before you answer...when you pause, you convey to the prospect that you are carefully considering what he just said...As a result, you raise his self-esteem and self-respect."
3. Question for Clarification: "Third, question for clarification...each elaboration increases the likelihood that he will tell you what you need to know to help him make a buying decision."
4. Paraphrase It in Your Own Words: "When you can feed back what a customer says, you prove to the customer that you were really paying attention."
5. Use Open-Ended Questions: "These are questions that cannot be answered with yes or no. [They] encourage the prospect to talk and give you more information that can help you to make the sale."
All these points refer to one of Brian Tracy's main themes. The person who is asking questions controls the conversation. And by controlling the conversation, you can determine what the customer's needs are and tailor your presentation accordingly. Learning how to listen is a key element in this process because "listening builds trust, and the very best way to get an opportunity to listen is to control the conversation with questions."
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