Shut Up And Listen!

by Duane Weber

Have you ever had a buying experience where you wished the other person would be quiet and let you explain your situation? I’ve had a specific lower back pain for years and have attempted to see six chiropractors for the issue. None of them will listen!

Each visit has been the same. Walk into the office; meet with the chiropractor; they ask about 2 questions; then spend the next 15 minutes telling me how different they are and describe their “unique” program in detail. Guess what: their programs don’t sound all that unique. At the end of one evaluation the chiropractor said “Set up an appointment to review the results and talk about costs…and, by the way, bring your wife.” Red flags galore!

I just want to scream SHUT UP AND LISTEN! All that ever ends up going through my mind is: “This is gonna be expensive and they didn’t do anything to give me confidence that they’re going to make the pain go away.”

Here’s what I want: Ask me a series of questions that will help you understand how this pain is impacting me. Even if you don’t think you need this information, I do. I don’t know you well enough. Then, poke, prod, scan, test, X-ray, or whatever to take a closer look at the issues. Only after listening to me and doing your entire diagnosing do I want to understand how you can fix me. Then, tell me how your program is going to specifically target my pain. Finally, I expect it to be expensive but if I trust you and believe that you understand my problems and are going to do your best to fix it, I’ll gladly pay.

Unfortunately, this exact same scenario plays out thousands of times a day between prospects and salespeople, too. Try replacing chiropractor with salesperson. Buyers all over the globe are nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

70% of your sales call should be spent listening and 30% should be spent asking questions. What is really going on? How is this problem impacting the business? How’s it affecting them personally – yes, personally. Once the prospect starts answering these questions, you’re starting to move into the Trusted Advisor category – starting to.

At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we help sales people shut up, listen and close more business. To learn more about active listening, getting personal impact and becoming your client’s trusted advisor, contact Duane Weber at 317-845-0041 or dweber@sandler.com.

So, you say you’re unique… doubt it.