My message is all about people–how to reach them, and how to touch them deep down inside in their innermost secret place where all their important decisions are made. I know them well because I listen to them with my entire being! You must make an honest effort to pay attention to what is being said to you. Winston Churchill had it right when he said, “Speech is silver and silence is golden”. The need to be heard is a universal desire, stop talking and pay careful attention to what is being said to you. The fine art of good listening is an essential ingredient of all successful people.
When you first meet someone, the natural thing is to think of something to say once you’ve exchanged greetings and introductions. Wrong! Don’t do that. Say nothing. Think about listening. The best way to sell yourself is to let the other person do most of the talking. I focus first on their favorite topic: themselves. The more the prospect talks, the more they reveal about themselves to you. The more you understand about their needs and wants, the better equipped you’ll be to provide them with the right solution and product! You must learn to “listen” with all your senses, not just your ears. What are they telling you? By listening to my customers I knew if they were married, had kids, where they worked, what they were currently driving, their hobbies and interests, and even where they would take their vacations.
Having that kind of knowledge enabled me to steer conversations to the things prospects liked to talk about. It relaxed them and made them feel comfortable. Before long, we were on common ground. It was the first step in getting them to exchange their money for my product, and that was the name of the game and the bottom line. I knew exactly who they were. The more people notice you intently listening to them, the more likely they’re going to be doing business with you. Listening shows that you care more about them than about yourself.
By giving your customers your complete and undivided attention you will be thought of as more than someone who sold them a product or service. To some, you will become a sounding board for their challenges. To others, you may become a trusted counselor or someone who went the extra mile to help them. When you reach this point in your relationship with a customer, you are planting the seeds of trust and longevity that will pay dividends again and again in the future. Believe me, you’ll know more about people than you ever thought possible, and you’ll come out a winner the way I did!