According to listening expert Thomas E. Anastasi, "Listening is an active search for meaning while hearing is passive." (Anastasi 1981)
Listening is hard work. As a speaker, I’m always fresher at the end of my seminars than my audience is, because they’re working harder than me to attach meaning to what I say. When you listen you’re working hard to relate what you’re hearing to your own experience, industry, and clients.
Too many salespeople just don’t get it. They think they are only working when they are talking. Nothing could be further from the truth. You’re working harder when you’re listening.
How hard are you going to work today? Which client can you help more by listening to him or her than by talking? Plan to listen, and then plan your listening.
Anastasi writes, to listen actively "…we must think in terms of ‘What’s in it for me?’ ‘What can I learn? What information can I get? What can I learn about the speaker that will help me deal more effectively with that person?’"
That’s planning your listening.
Telephone sales expert Art Sobczak says you can cure lousy listening by selling yourself on the importance of listening. "When you find yourself taking a mental vacation during a call," he says, "ask yourself this question: ‘Why do I need to listen to this person?’ The answer tends to snap you back to the proper perspective as you answer, ‘Because what this person says will tell me exactly what I need to say in order to help them buy, therefore putting more money in my pocket.’" (Sobczak 1995)
Listening is a source of power that nearly all salespeople could tap into more often and more deeply.
Roger Ailes has been a presidential adviser and currently produces syndicated television shows. He wrote:
Many of us tell people more than they need to know. Why? We forget to listen. If you learn to listen better, what you say will better address the concerns of others. Some rules of thumb for listening:
– Eliminate distractions. Look directly at the speaker.
– Control your emotions. Avoid prejudging, and listen without interruption
– Occasionally take notes. Writing it down helps you to concentrate.
– Listen actively. Nod, smile, let your eyes show interest, delight. (Ailes 1988)
These steps work to your advantage even if you disagree with the speaker. The more you know about the client’s agenda and needs, the better you can respond, negotiate, and sell.
In sales, you can’t go wrong if you listen too carefully — but you can really blow it if you talk too much. Remember, you’re not just waiting for your turn to talk. You need to pay attention to every word, every gesture and every nuance.
Rewriter From: Diary my Leader of Tianshi