They’ve got the gift of the gab and should go into sales! I am sure you’ve all heard this phrase before. Even though we work in Sales, remember we are also customers. Do you like to be talked at when you’re making a purchasing decision, or would you rather your specific requirements were heard?

Most Sales Professionals are taught from day 1 to ask questions to uncover customer requirements, needs analyses. However, most are not taught to stick around and actively listen for the answer!

Below is a snapshot of what not to do when asking questions with your customers;

• Ask enough questions to tick the box and start talking about your product
• Keep talking so that your customer can’t ask you any awkward questions
• Fire off another question, when the customer has barely finished the previous response
• Fail to follow the thread of the response, and layer your questions
• Ask questions that are not relevant to the conversation
• Ask every customer the same pool of questions
• Used polarized questions, either completely closed or too open ended and nonspecific

It is important to clear your mind before any customer contact and ensure you are completely present and focused during the meeting, using carefully planned and specific questions.

Some people are naturally active listeners, for others this can be a challenging skill to learn, however, rest assured that it is a skill that can be learned.

Once you master the skill of active listening, you unlock powerful Sales potential. We discover why when your customer needs your product, they are not buying what you are selling! I will cover active listening Sales potential in a future blog.

If you would like to learn more about the power of active listening and Questions and Answers, please contact SalesAde.