The Importance Of Active Listening

Have you heard someone say in a relationship..."I really love the fact that he/she listens to me."

There's a common plague in the sales world today.  Show up...and throw up.   You're only speaking to respond.   You say something, or ask a question, and you have the next thing you want to say already loaded and ready to go.  You've heard me say this over and over again....ask a question because you care about the answer....then once it's asked....SHUT UP!!!   Let your potential client talk.   Most of the time, by letting them speak, you'll uncover the need without ever having to dig for it.   By actively listening to the potential client, you'll discover far more than you ever would have by dominating the conversation.   Reiterate by saying things like: "If I heard you correctly..."  "Can you tell me more about...." "What would you need from a company like mine" and so on.  

I encourage to write a list of 10-15 open ended questions that will incite intimate dialogue.  Remember, you should operate on a 30/70 rule.   You should speak about 30% of the time, and your prospective client should speak about 70% of the time.   The most important rule to remember is that your potential client doesn’t want to hear as much about what you can do for them, but wants to talk about their business and how your services tie in their structure.