Saturday, June 06, 2009

Shut Up & Learn

Reposting a few classics as I'm on vacation this week:


It's a common theme in sales training, "Talk Less, Listen More." Here's Art Sobczak's take on the subject from my email:


This Week's Tip:
When You Do This, You Can Hear
Amazing Information

Greetings!

I like to watch the TV show, "Taxicab
Confessions" on HBO.

It is a reality show with hidden cameras
and microphones in cabs in Las Vegas
and New York.

The drivers are exceptional interviewers
and listeners, drawing out the bizarre--and
I do mean really weird--real life stories of
people they pick up late at night or early
in the morning.

At first I was amazed what people shared.
Then I realized it wasn’t that amazing at
all. The drivers were excellent at asking
questions, and then just letting the
passengers ramble.

It’s just like what we experience on
the phone: people will reveal astounding
information if we just shut up long enough
to let them.

One of the best ways to learn about
your prospect or customer is using a
pause at two points in your questioning:

1. After you’ve asked the question, and,

2. After the listener has answered.

Not just a brief pause, but a two-to-three
second pause. Here are some of the
benefits of this technique.

-You won’t feel compelled to continue
talking after asking the question if you
force yourself to pause. People don’t
always immediately answer, and
pausing gives them the opportunity
to think a bit.

-The number and length of responses
will increase. People feel more
comfortable when you give them
time to frame their answers, which
will likely be more comprehensive.

-The amount of unsolicited information
will increase. By not jumping in
immediately after they’ve answered,
they’re given a little time to contemplate
what they’ve just said, which may
prompt additional comments.

-You’ll have more time to understand
what they’ve said. Since you know
you’re going to pause, you can spend
all of your listening time focused on t
he message, not on what you will
say next.

-You’ll have more time to formulate
your next comment. You can use
your pause time to develop your
next question or statement, which
will be more meaningful, since
you’ll possess more relevant
information.

Force yourself to pause after your
question, and after they answer.
I’ve seen reps hold the "mute"
button on their phone for a couple
of seconds so they restrain themselves.

Practice this on the phone and in all
areas of your life. You’ll find you get
more information than you ever have.

——

Again, this is just an example of ONE of the
sales ideas included in each monthly eight-page
issue of my Telephone Prospecting and Selling
Report monthly newsletter which you get both
online line, and as a hard copy, when you
become a member of my Telesales Success
Inner Circle.

And, you get instant access to the past 34 issues
of the newsletter, containing hundreds of brief tips and
more in-depth instruction and case studies,
RIGHT NOW, for under $4. Plus much more,
including the past FIVE years worth of these
weekly tips, and over podcasts.
Check it all out at
http://www.TelesalesSuccess.com )
——————————————————


QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Patience and perseverance have a magical
effect before which difficulties disappear and
obstacles vanish."

John Quincy Adams


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