Why active listening is KEY in sales

When it comes to sales in general, lots of people might think that being a smooth talker or having an objection to everything are the most important things in sales, when in reality listening is the most important thing. Active listening allows a salesman to understand the key needs of their client and build better trust, ultimately raising close ratios. All sales really pertain of, is showing someone how you can solve their problem simply and cost-effectively and the only way you are able to do that is if you know what their problem is which is where active listening comes in.  Asking open-ended and intentional questions allows your clients to express themselves and after some time, a salesperson will start to pick up what is very important to their client by what they talk the most about. Active listening sounds easy because everyone can just listen to someone talk, that is called passive listening whereas active listening is directing the conversation to a desired outcome by asking questions to learn more about the individual instead as well as picking up on keywords the client may mention repeatedly or even just once indicating the importance of that subject to them. Maintaining eye contact and asking follow-up questions to a client will also let them know that you are actively listening and paying attention to what they are saying. Another benefit of active listening is the ability to handle objections before they even come up, for example; If a client is talking about how important it is for them to stay within budget, then a salesperson would have to build a lot of value in their product or make a customized product within their client’s price range. If you were just passively listening, then you might just feel like yes, obviously it is important to stay within budget and not think anything of it. All of this being said, active listening is the bedrock for being a successful sales individual