Peter Hannes IV
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." --Stephen R. Covey
It’s not our fault. It begins at a young age, when the teacher asks a question, the student who shouts out the reply first gets the praise. We’ve been programmed our whole lives that the one who answers first often wins. That may have been enough in grade school, but it’s not enough today, we have to stop simply hearing people, we have to listen to them.
In sales, it’s our job to determine what our customer wants. In order to do that, we can’t just hear them say what it is they’re after, we have to dig deeper than that. We have to listen about why they want it, and ultimately what the purpose of it is. The goal isn’t to fill them with facts and figures, but rather to create value and transfer emotion. You can only do this effectively if you’re truly listening to your customer. We buy from people we like, people that can understand our values, needs, and wants. To get there, you have to listen.
Three Keys to Effective Listening
The people succeeding today realize it’s not about a single sale, it’s about a relationship. You’re not after a single sale, you’re trying to build a network and foster loyalty. The days of the slick talking salesman are over. Those who succeed today are the ones that realize we have two ears and one mouth, and use them accordingly.
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