Six Simple Ideas That Can Help You Close More Sales Through Effective Listening

Listening is one of the most important skills that we as sales professionals can develop

. Because of human nature, it is also one of the hardest skills to master. The only way to master this skill is to practice daily like a star athlete.

Here are 6 ideas that can help you close more sales, when you master the art of listening.

1. Focus on your customer

Focus on your customer and listen attentively. Lean forward and face the prospect directly so that he feels that you are really interested in what he has to say. Remember to let him feel that you are there to help him solve his problem, so be careful not to ask questions that could make him feel uncomfortable.

Make sure that you focus only on your customer, even if there is something interesting happening in the back ground. He will notice if your attention is distracted to somewhere else and he may think that you don't consider him important enough.

2. Listen positively

Try to think positive thoughts about your customer. If your customer has a bad day and she has decided to pour all her anger on you, just try to find at least one thing that you like about her and concentrate on that one single thing. The customer will sense that you like her and hopefully this will help you close the sale.

3. Listen without interruption

When your customer is talking, do not interrupt him. Have you ever met a person who interrupts you every time you try to say your opinion on something really important? Annoying, isn't it? So don't interrupt your customer when he is talking. Pause before you reply, so that you can be sure that your customer has finished his sentence.

4. Listen as if your income depended on it

Did you know that one of the main factors that can define your earning ability in sales is your listening skills? If you don't listen to your customer and keep interrupting him constantly, he almost certainly doesn't like you and therefore doesn't want to buy from you. Your ability to listen to your customer's needs and close the sale affect tremendously on your pay check.

5. Don't think, just listen

This is one of the hardest things for even the most skillful listeners. It is so hard to really concentrate on the words that someone else is saying without thinking what we are going to say next. That's why it is so crucial to develop this skill. The only way you (or I or anyone else) can develop this skill is to practice continuously. It is exhaustive, but like developing any other skill, the more you practice, the easier it gets.

Maybe this can help you to concentrate: Imagine that your customer will tell you the right lottery numbers for 100 million dollars and he is going to say them only once. Would you be willing to give 100 percent of your attention to this guy?

6. Repeat main points

Before your sales call ends or before you start to close the sale, repeat the main points of your conversation to your customer. Make sure that you understand his needs and desires. This will help your customer to gain trust in you and will help you to close the sale. But be sure not to be a parrot who repeats everything all the time, because that's almost a sure way to ruin the sale.

Have fun and good luck!

2010 Jani Malmborg

Six Simple Ideas That Can Help You Close More Sales Through Effective Listening

By: Jani Malmborg

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