The "Gift of the Gab" Will Get You Nowhere
Some people have a distrustful perception of salespeople.
Let's face it, there are enough documented cases of improper selling to understand why people may feel this way.
Notice, I said feel this way and not think this way.
A stereotypical view is that good salespeople have the "gift of the gab".
This could not be further from the truth.
There are some salespeople who believe the right thing to do is talk, talk and talk some more.
They think doing this proves that their product knowledge knows no bounds.
To be honest, there is nothing more annoying for a buyer than to feel they are being talked to.
Worse still, making them feel like they are not being listened to.
Sadly, this trait is preventing some salespeople getting better results.
Some don't even know they are doing it.
The good news is it is easy to put right.
Good salespeople have many varied strings to their bow, but in my experience the one quality they all excel in is the "art of listening".
People like to be listened to, so it makes sense to do it.
Listening is a skill and improves the more you practise.
So again, it makes sense to do it.
Listening serves you in two ways.
First, it enables you to gather the information required in order for you to provide a solution.
Secondly, it is the most important step on the road to establishing rapport.
This seems obvious, but some people don't do it or at least don't do it enough.
Forget about business for a second and think about everyday life.
Have you ever been in a social situation where you felt somebody was not paying you attention or listening.
How did it make you feel? Ignored Neglected Unimportant Worthless All of these things That's because you are human and feel emotions.
You would have also judged the offender to be rude, and rightly so.
Buyers experience all the same emotions as you.
It is usual for salespeople to debrief immediately after a meeting to consider what went well and what could have been done better.
They usually do this by referring to notes they have taken during the meeting.
In other words, their main focus is on information only.
Some never stop to consider why the buyer wants to buy, how they made the buyer feel or whether they sensed any shared values.
Buyers also debrief.
The difference is that buyers usually debrief from memory.
After all they are in the driving seat and if they need clarification on what was said they can just phone you and ask.
The point here is that whilst they may not always remember every word you said at a meeting, they will always remember how you made them feel.
Listening is a great first step to making them feel good.
It follows that you should take time out in equal measure to reflect on not only how the business side of things went but on how the human interaction side went as well.
Good salespeople do this.
Trust me, the "gift of the gab" will get you nowhere whilst the "art of listening" is the start to getting you everywhere.
I believe it is the major foundation when creating the right conditions for people to buy.
Let's face it, there are enough documented cases of improper selling to understand why people may feel this way.
Notice, I said feel this way and not think this way.
A stereotypical view is that good salespeople have the "gift of the gab".
This could not be further from the truth.
There are some salespeople who believe the right thing to do is talk, talk and talk some more.
They think doing this proves that their product knowledge knows no bounds.
To be honest, there is nothing more annoying for a buyer than to feel they are being talked to.
Worse still, making them feel like they are not being listened to.
Sadly, this trait is preventing some salespeople getting better results.
Some don't even know they are doing it.
The good news is it is easy to put right.
Good salespeople have many varied strings to their bow, but in my experience the one quality they all excel in is the "art of listening".
People like to be listened to, so it makes sense to do it.
Listening is a skill and improves the more you practise.
So again, it makes sense to do it.
Listening serves you in two ways.
First, it enables you to gather the information required in order for you to provide a solution.
Secondly, it is the most important step on the road to establishing rapport.
This seems obvious, but some people don't do it or at least don't do it enough.
Forget about business for a second and think about everyday life.
Have you ever been in a social situation where you felt somebody was not paying you attention or listening.
How did it make you feel? Ignored Neglected Unimportant Worthless All of these things That's because you are human and feel emotions.
You would have also judged the offender to be rude, and rightly so.
Buyers experience all the same emotions as you.
It is usual for salespeople to debrief immediately after a meeting to consider what went well and what could have been done better.
They usually do this by referring to notes they have taken during the meeting.
In other words, their main focus is on information only.
Some never stop to consider why the buyer wants to buy, how they made the buyer feel or whether they sensed any shared values.
Buyers also debrief.
The difference is that buyers usually debrief from memory.
After all they are in the driving seat and if they need clarification on what was said they can just phone you and ask.
The point here is that whilst they may not always remember every word you said at a meeting, they will always remember how you made them feel.
Listening is a great first step to making them feel good.
It follows that you should take time out in equal measure to reflect on not only how the business side of things went but on how the human interaction side went as well.
Good salespeople do this.
Trust me, the "gift of the gab" will get you nowhere whilst the "art of listening" is the start to getting you everywhere.
I believe it is the major foundation when creating the right conditions for people to buy.
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