by Lorraine Ball

I had the strangest phone call the other day. It was from someone I have known for a long time. I wouldn’t call us friends, but our paths have crossed multiple times over the years so we are acquainted.

We chatted for a few minutes. He told me he had moved to Florida. I mentioned I sold my company, and I am enjoying the slower pace.

He barely acknowledged what I said and proceeded to launch into a pitch on his new venture. Unfortunately, since, as I told him, I sold my agency his product was not a fit for me.

By the time I got off the phone I was annoyed, because he clearly had no interest in anything I had to say.

Then I felt sorry for him. Not only had he failed to sell me, but he completely blew the chance to sell to my contacts. There was no way I was going to introduce him to anyone I liked.

So, before you engage your next prospect in a sales conversation, brush up on your listening skills.

• Pay attention to your body language. Make sure that you are facing your customer, making eye contact, and nodding your head. This shows that you are engaged and interested in what they have to say.
• Ask questions. Asking questions shows that you are interested in what your customer has to say and that you want to understand their needs.
• Listen without interrupting. It is important to give your customer your full attention. Do not interrupt them while they are speaking.
• Paraphrase what your customer has said. Paraphrasing shows that you have been listening and that you understand what your customer has said.
• Summarize what your customer has said. Summarizing shows that you have been listening and that you understand the key points your customer has made

If you want to close the sale, listen more, and talk less.