When selling, it is so easy to start talking about your product and informing the buyer about it and how it can help them. It is even easier to not stop running your mouth and ask what they want or what they need. Sometimes it seems like salespeople just love the sound of their own voice. The buyer tells the seller what they want and it goes right over their head and they dive into their products. I think of when Coach Dido came to class and went over his sales pitch to the doctor who kept asking what else does he have. It is fine and dandy having all of these products to sell and being knowledgeable of what you have, but how can they help the buyer and their needs?
In a selling situation it is best to ask questions, listen, and learn. That means actually listen to what they are saying and not nodding your head mindlessly and then going on with your script. It is ineffective for a salesperson to assume that they know what the customer wants just from the first few things the buyer says, you have to keep digging, ask more questions. If someone comes into our shop and say they want a transmission and tell us they have a Mack truck does not mean immediately we start looking at Mack transmissions for them. We listen and see if they actually do need to get a new one or if the one they have can be fixed and also if it is actually a Mack transmission they have or if they have a Fuller or Spicer.
Listening can go so far in sales relationship and can lead to being very fruitful. No one likes a know it all salesperson who dominates the conversation. As sellers, we are there for them and their needs. The best way to understand what they need we have to listen. Listening then avoids assuming what they need. Asking questions deeper into their needs and then when you know what they are looking for, you can use your expertise to help them in their decision.
BoweryJE22
I think you did a great job of emphasizing the importance of listening in sales. If one does not listen they can miss so much from the customer and completely lose a sale.
Caden you’re right, so often we feel like we know everything about our product and what people need. But we can’t always be right because so many things add into the circumstances of the situation. If we just start going off, not only do people feel not heard, but we flat out may not solve the problem at hand.