Spend a week in the field with salespeople and you’ll see too many sales calls where the salespeople simply talk too much. Inquire why and you’ll hear comments like these: “A great product will sell itself if I just talk about …” or “My customers tell me they want to know everything about our new …” or “If I am talking, I know the customer will forget about that objection.” And of course, we’ve all heard that “nature abhors a vacuum.”
Regardless of the “why,” the end result is clear. By talking, the salesperson isn’t listening.
We’ve written a lot about active listening – its importance and How To’s. One point we haven’t raised is when active listening starts. Contrary to popular thinking, active listening in sales calls starts before the sales call begin.
Five tips for preparing for sales calls before your sales begin are:
Clear your mind of distractions so you can focus 100 percent on the customer – make notes or tasks lists that you can pick up later.
Pre-plan calls so the sales call is focused and you prevent brain freeze.
Plan in advance to limit the time you spend talking to 20-25 percent of the conversation.
Drop the assumption that you already know exactly what the customer needs or will say.
Turn off your tablet, computer, phone and other noisemaking devices.