It's very interesting to study what motivates people. For example, nobody wants to be "sold" anything, yet everybody likes to "buy," Buying is an invigorating activity. Buying is acting on a decision and taking control of a situation. Buying provides a sense of power. A salesperson can take advantage of this motivation by doing more listening and less selling.
Through the art of listening, a sales rep transfers the act of selling to the process of buying. And the buyer will be more apt to engage in talking when the listener appears sincerely interested. "Listening" is an art that is successfully employed by the best salespeople. It involves several techniques such as good eye contact. Eye contact is very powerful as a form of attention. Think about how you would feel if someone you were talking with began looking away or at someone else while you are still talking. Even looking down at your notes may be distracting and thus not a good idea.
Feedback is another important part of listening. By repeating the main message you are hearing at selected times, you let the buyer know you understand their wants and needs. And, perhaps most importantly, you'll want to listen to how your buyer is feeling and let them know you understand. "It sure sounds like you are 'angry' or 'confused' or 'frightened'" or whatever. This often results in the quietest person talking nonstop and, of course, feeling great about the experience.
If you are a sincere listener, people will like you. This is important because, before they buy your product, they have to "buy" you.
And by listening you find out what is actually important to your prospect so that when they begin talking about your product, you will focus on the benefits to that individual buyer. By asking more specific questions you will be able to gain more knowledge about that prospect than you have ever done before. And that further prepares you for any future objections.
