Adapted from:
Selling with NLP, Kerry L. Johnson
Value the speaker. Remember that selling
happens primarily when your prospect is talking and you are listening
empathetically and actively.
Listen with all your senses to understand deep
needs of your prospect; avoid the tendency to think about what you will say
after your prospect stops talking.
Don't talk non-stop, bombarding your prospect
with a flood of information. Listen to your prospect's point of view.
Demonstrate that you approve of
s/his views.
***
7. Be an Active Listener
Unfortunately, many managers and salespeople believe they have to talk
non-stop, bombarding a customer with a flood of information. Even though
they may talk about the case (prices, characteristics, brand names), the
prospect does not want to continue communication in the end. But why do such
things happen? The answer is a lack of active listening.
Here are some methods of active listening you should consider:
▪ Agreement. Communication with potential clients should demonstrate that
you approve of the views of the interlocutor.
▪ Questions-clarifications. After listening carefully, you can ask some
questions to show you are engaged in the topic.
▪ Summing up. As well as clarifying questions, this technique will
demonstrate that you have correctly perceived the client's words. To look at
this through a simple example, imagine a situation in a restaurant. After
you have ordered the food, the waiter summarizes the entire list of dishes.
▪ Paraphrasing. Having carefully listened to the interlocutor, you can
repeat the words they said in your way. Of course, you should not state
everything in a row but rather highlight the essence. It will prove that you
perfectly understand what a person needs.
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