Most buyers are put off by the “pushy salesman” – and rightfully so. The “pushy salesman” tries to close the sale in any (and every) way possible…all the while talking too much and listening too little. Sales professionals, on the other hand, are constantly listening to their prospect. They are careful not to talk too much.
In my experience, most salespeople talk beyond the sale. I have a rule in the sales setting: never talk for more than seven seconds. There’s really no reason to go beyond seven seconds when communicating most concepts or questions, because at that point you should be looking for feedback from the customer – perhaps a signal that you’re on the right path.
If you deliver a Shakespearean soliloquy for 45 seconds, or a minute-and-a-half, or five minutes, you might very well find yourself down a rabbit hole...and you may never make it back to the proper path toward a “yes.” Your prospect might just glaze over and completely lose attention.
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