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Listening to Clients

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Tues, 4/1/2014

With the limited time clients are offering today for meetings, listening to your clients becomes more important than ever! It may seem that with limited time you need to get in all the facts and benefits of your products or services during the meeting, but that is actually far from the truth.

The more you listen, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you can base your products and service’s benefits against what the client needs and desires. This is one of the hardest steps in the process for most salespeople to take. They need to essentially SHUT UP!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times; we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. We need to listen twice as hard as we talk! If you haven’t realized this yet, now is the time to start trying to develop this pattern. I give you a 100% guarantee that you will come away a winner.

Clients appreciate this approach. They are actively involved in the conversation, not just listening to a pitch. They guide you directly to what they like, and what will get them to say YES! That being said, you still need to be prepared with information about your products, as well as ideas on how to utilize then correctly. Your meeting can take twists and turns that are unexpected, so you must be prepared to go down any path it may take. Still, take the path of success, and open your ears and shut your mouth.

What are your challenges when it comes to listening to your clients? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…