Yesterday, we talked about why you should talk less and listen more in the sales setting. Today, I’d like to share a story that emphasizes the importance of also looking at your prospect when he or she is speaking:
A sales professional was hard of hearing – so much so that he had to use lip reading to understand what people were saying. As a result, he would give his unwavering attention to his prospects when they were speaking.
After a while, he became quite successful despite his hearing disability. How did he do it? His prospects appreciated that he gave them his undivided attention. The fact that he had to stare at them really gave them the impression that they were the number one most important thing, and as a result, he closed a lot of sales.
After a few years of successful selling he got enough money from commissions to buy himself some high-end hearing aids. Now he had the ability to hear everything. One day, he was in a meeting with an old customer, and the customer said, “Excuse me, can you take those things out?” He said, “What?” The customer replied, “Your hearing aids.” He said, “I spent a lot of money for these things and they help me hear! Why would I take them out?” The customer replied, “I just like it better when you listen to me.”
This story just goes to show that listening (or the perceived act of listening) requires more than an open ear. In order to reinforce in your prospect’s mind that you’re interested in what they have to say, you need to make and maintain visual contact.
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