Make Side Income
Building solid relationships is one of the core principles of Relationship Selling. But building a relationship with your customer/prospect is not something that happens overnight. Just as you would nurture and care for a garden in order to see the fruits of your labor, building a good, solid lasting relationship with your customer/prospect takes the same amount of effort and time. One of the key components of building a relationship is developing effective listening skills. Everyone thinks they listen, but very few actually effectively listen.
Here are 5 easy exercises to help improve your listening skills and set you on the path to building those relationships which will result in customer retention, referrals and best of all, more sales.
1. It’s the old saying “Practice makes perfect” – after all, you didn’t learn to drive in one day right? Learning how to effectively listen takes practice and time. Continue to improve on your skills, practicing daily until it becomes second nature to you.
2. No distractions – did you ever have your child bothering you while you were on the telephone with a friend? Chances are that most of the conversation will be missed? Chances are, if you are like the majority of people, when distractions get in the way, listening skills go down the toilet. If you truly want to hear what your customer/prospect is telling you, then you need to close out all distractions and be present in the moment.
3. Listen for feedback – in other words, listen to the content they are providing to you; what challenges they are facing or the pain they are suffering. Gather the information and identify the key points. This will go a long way in providing solutions which will help to fortify a solid relationship.
4. Take Notes – Actively take notes and write down keywords that your prospect/customer uses so you can relate back to those words. Talking in the same language as your prospect/customer will help them relate better with you. This will help seal the bond between yourself and your prospect/customer.
5. Do Not Interrupt – Don’t be thinking about what you want to say next. Focus in on what your prospect/customer is telling you and let them finish their thoughts before you begin talking. Nothing turns someone off quicker than talking over them, interrupting them or trying to control the conversation. The important thing to remember is you want to make them feel you are genuinely trying to help them solve their problems/pain. Become cognizant of your own interactions: be aware of when you interrupt. If you start interrupting, then it suddenly becomes all about you and the sale and not about them, which is counter to effective listening and relationship selling as a whole.
Effective listening is a power skill and it will go a long way in helping when it comes time for the negotiation. Start practicing effective listening skills and have fun at the same time. Train yourself to be a good listener in your everyday life and it will naturally flow into your professional life.