A LONG TIME AGO, I overheard a conversation between two people:
Person 1: “Ugh, I just wish there was a magic potion you could drink to lose weight!”
Person 2: “There is. It’s called water.”
Makes me laugh, every time, because of its sheer simplicity. Anytime I put myself on a weight loss plan, drinking lots of water a day is on the regimen. Simple, right? Well, yes and no. The not so simple part is actually doing it. To drink all that water per day (… hold on, I gotta go refill my water bottle…) isn’t easy. It is, however, very doable.
Well, it’s the same thing with selling.
There isn’t a magic potion for selling (trust me, I’ve drunk a lot of red wine just to be sure) but there is a magic wand. Know what it is? Listening. I mean really listening! The best salespeople I ever meet, in any industry, are always, hands-down, the best listeners. Simple, right? Well, yes and no. The hard part is doing it. I’ll share with you how to make that easier.
One of the nicest compliments I’ve ever received was from one of my first clients, Dr. Robert Ratzlaff of RealEyes in Taos, NM. About a month after his EyeCoach training, he told me I had made him a better doctor. Hmm, strange I thought. I’m not a doctor nor did I attend optometry school.
“Doctor, how the hell did I do that?”
“By making me a better listener.”
“Ah, and how did I make you a better listener?”
“By teaching me to ask better questions. It forces me to listen to the answers.”
It forces me to listen to the answers.
If you’ve read my sales columns before, you know I’m all about the questions. The more questions, the better. The questions I ask have a “share with me” or a “tell me” element to them. Meaning, with each question I ask, I could have “Tell me” or “Share with me” as a preface. It implies we’re on the same team. It says, “Look, I’m not trying to persuade you, I’m trying to find out exactly how I can help you.”
“Tell me… when you’re reviewing your children’s homework, do you notice you’re moving the paper further away to read it?”
“Share with me… what’s happening with your eyes and vision when you’re at your daughter’s soccer games in the late afternoon? Just how harsh is that sun?”
“Tell me… how often is the baby grabbing the glasses off your face?”
“Share with me… how often are you rubbing your eyes and exactly what part of the day do you start to feel most fatigued?”
Wait for the answers. Don’t interrupt them, ever! When they’re done responding, ask another question until you have all the information you require to help them purchase all the eyewear they need.
I tend to nod my head up and down while they’re responding. Why? For me, it actually feels good and reminds me that I’m an active participant in this conversation. For them, it shows them I’m being an active listener and I care about what they’re talking about.
Listening. What a concept!