I’d rather KNOW, than fall short by being surprised.
Know – I’m not anywhere close to my goal. That way I can take the best actions to get there.
Know – I’m not winning a deal. So I spend my time, energy, and effort finding new business.
Question with the intent to listen and understand.
Lately it seems the calls I’ve been listening to have salespeople who are asking questions and listening for the answer they want: NOT to understand.
Here is how it seems to go:
- they ask a question – hear what they perceive as an unfavorable answer – their brain shuts off – they stop listening.
- they hear a key word that might be positive – with “happy ears” they stop asking questions – never digging into what they’ve heard.
- the prospect/customer says something they don’t understand – no questions asked in fear of sounding stupid.
Any of those sound familiar?
Instead, F O R C E yourself to learn to listen without judgement. Listen to how they answer your questions – tone, pace, words, everything.
Then ask questions ABOUT what you hear.