Let’s face it. Most salespeople are extrovert, outgoing and talkative. In fact, recruiters consciously seek these traits in a salesperson right at the time of hiring them. While it’s true that the job of a salesperson is to convince or persuade others, but talk without substance is cheap.
As a business owner or sales manager, you must teach your salespeople how to listen actively. Talking without listening can turn off your prospects. In fact, you should rent training room or rent classroom to train your salespeople on active listening. Here are 3 more ways your salespeople can improve their active listening.
1. Feel the emotion
When the customer is talking, do not just listen. Try to feel the emotion behind the talk. Minutely watch for the use of words. For instance, if a customer says words like high budget, expensive, low cost, etc., you can safely assume that the person is concerned about cost. On the other hand, if someone says words like brand, quality, impression, reputation, top-class, etc.; you can assume that they care more about quality. To understand the emotion and pitch accordingly. These are certain things you can teach your salespeople.
2. Focus on personalization
Maybe the customer called you before visiting the store. Maybe they told you something about their kids. Or perhaps, they happened to tell you the name of their pet. You must remember these things and use them later in your conversation with that customer. This will help give the conversation a personal touch. Personalization works wonders in sales.
3. Give feedback
Another way your salespeople can improve active listening is by giving feedback to the customer. When the customer is talking, the salesperson should look for opportunities to react or give a quick feedback. This not only improves their active listening skills but show your customer that the salesperson is on the same page with them. For instance, if someone is talking about a recent achievement, your salesperson can say, “What a great achievement!” This simple gesture can go a long way to establish trust and bonding.