Every so often, in our attempt to align and find common ground with an individual, we unknowingly take over the conversation. Think of the last time you were in a discussion about a vacation destination. As the other person told you about his trip to a place that you also had visited, did you become eager to share your story too? It is okay in a social setting, but not in the world of sales. Knowing how to discern the intent of the customer, staying focused on the issues, and creating an environment that is conducive to complete disclosure will assist in your ability to obtain sensitive, confidential, and little-talked-about information.
Getting the conversation started
The first task in getting a conversation started is to ask a good question. Asking a good question helps get the customer to stop, think and respond with a different answer. Once that is accomplished, there is the need to “work” and nurture the answer. The challenge is whether you can get more from the answer than the next guy. To gain more insight, I’d like to share with you some ideas about listening.
For the most part, 90 percent of our questions and conversations deal with the present and the future. The goal of unlocking new information is to see if you can get more information about the past. Take a look at some of the questions that you ask your customers. Where do they fall – past, present, or future? Even if you have a couple of questions that fall under the past category, I would like you to heighten your awareness of going to the customer’s history or past more often. Taking a trip down memory lane might get a customer to realize the need to get out of their box.
By getting the customer to go back in the past, you are hoping to mine useful information and at the same time get the customer thinking about change. If you can get the customer to recall what has been happening over the past several months, quarters or year, the customer may realize that something is happening more often then he/she would like.
Using the information to your advantage
When you go back in the past, use the information to your advantage and position the question well. For example, if you are trying to replace an incumbent, a review of the customer’s history may reveal a couple of speed bumps along the way that would open the door for change. Going back in the past is like a pause button on your CD player; it allows you to get caught up with the information, and it slows down the conversation to better enable you to understand the origin of the customer’s answer. Going back in the past gives you and the customer the opportunity to absorb and explore the information being discussed. It gives you a chance to slow things down and really listen.
Charles Brennan Jr. is founder of the Brennan Sales Institute, a leading provider of advanced sales training programs. To learn more about BSI’s live and Web-based programs on advanced questioning, listening and closing skills, contact the Brennan Sales institute at 610-449-6110 or visit the website to view a series of short video clips, sample chapters and webinars.
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