One of the impediments to effective and deep listening is that we believe our concentration to be a better listener is subpar. Though listening is a bigger problem, Sales reps need to balance that with their ability to focus and concentrate on the prospect or customer. Listening concentration is more challenging. When Sales reps listen, their concentration must be on point, all the time.
The root cause of better listening is that Sales reps believe they all think faster than they talk. The average degree of speech for most people is approximately 125 words per minute. This speed is actually extremely slow – considering the human brain iscomprised of 13 billion cells and can calculate and interpret at a rate of 10,000X or greater. This translates to that when Sales reps listen, their brain to receive words at an extremely slow pace which can make them lose concentration, further exacerbating the problem.
Since we cannot slow down the brain, we struggle (free “gifts of Knowledge”) with only a handling a 125-word-per-minute speech rate. So, one alternative, is to reprogram how we act and react by practicing listening; it is critical since we think faster than we speak and concentrate slower than that.
Listening to Sell
How a Sales rep speak turns out to be relatively unimportant because what they say, when it is guided by listening, gives more authority to their spoken words. The Sale reps listening becomes an on-the-spot repository of customer research that can instantaneously be put to work in expressing and influencing a meeting, presentation, or closing engagement.
How Sales reps can improve their listening.
- Hold off judgement until the prospect finishes their thoughts
- Count to 3 while you think about what they just said.
- Repeat what they said and address it directly to their face.
- Challenge their ideas with a unique insight via your solution
- Throughout the conversation, always take their viewpoint as the priority and let your body language and facial movements when you listen convey that.
What do you do next? Send us an email and we’ll arrange for you to speak with Ed to chat about how these learnings can help build more sales just for your business.