When you think about all the things you can do to build your business, you’re likely to think about things like improving your marketing efforts, providing more-efficient service to your clients, and setting new goals — those are all important, without question. But this week, I wanted to spend a little time on the importance of improving your listening skills. Dale Carnegie once said, “if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an interested listener.” And as sales professionals, that’s what we aspire to be, great conversationalists, right? It might seem like a passive activity, but for the best listeners, it’s very active. Listening at a high level will have you engaging better with information, asking better questions, and remembering more key details that you can reference later on. Here are some of the ways that better listening will make you a better LO:
Understand Prospects’ Needs
If you want to improve your closing ratio, and turn more of your prospects into clients, then you have to understand their needs. You need to discern your prospects’ questions, concerns, goals, and expectations, and you can do it in 2 ways: by asking the right questions, and by actively listening to the answers. Active listening shows your prospects that you’re committed, and it helps them see that you’re uniquely qualified to help them. It’s a great way to stand out from the competition. More on standing out and becoming the go-to LO in your local market, here.
Deliver a Highest-Level Client Experience
Once you’ve converted those prospects into clients, listening remains just as important. You can’t deliver a client experience that feels one-size-fits-all. If you want clients for life, along with more reviews and referrals, you have to personalize your client experience. The best way to do that? By asking more questions, and then allowing your clients the space to answer in full detail. When you’re entirely focused on what your clients say, you’ll know exactly how to customize their experience; and they’ll recognize your effort.
Collaborate With Colleagues
It’s not just prospects and clients that we need to listen to. We also need to listen to our colleagues. To work effectively as a team, we need to understand each other. Sure, we’re focused on the roles fellow employees play in our work, but what about the roles we play in theirs? Set the precedent for open communication with your colleagues by showing that you’re receptive to what they have to say. When you listen to what your coworkers need and learn how you can work better together, you help the entire team excel. More on getting the most out of collaboration, here.
Get Feedback
Finally, listening is a powerful tool for self-improvement. Whether it’s feedback from clients, colleagues, mentors, or other professionals, it provides valuable information to support your growth — but only if you listen to it. Getting feedback isn’t always easy, especially when it’s critical. Practice engaging with feedback, asking questions, and finding then extracting the lessons from it.
So the next time you’re having a conversation with a client or colleague, the best way to become a better conversationalist is to use your ears. You may be surprised how it changes people’s reactions to you.
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