Ask More. Tell Less (Sales version)

 

 

 

 

Ask more. Tell less

It's a simple way salespeople can keep the conversation focused on the customer.

In short, when you feel the urge to share some dry, valueless factoid about your product with your customer (TELL)...STOP. And pose it as a question instead (ASK.)

Tell less. Ask more.

Instead of telling the customer "Our product can do ABC..." rephrase it as a question and ask them "What would the impact be on your business if your system could do ABC?"

That keeps your focus on the customer.

As a salesperson you are competing for the time and attention of your busy customer.

To earn their attention you need to make yourself interesting to the customer.

The easiest way to make yourself interesting to customers is to demonstrate an interest in them.

Asking someone a question about themselves, or something they are interested in, is the way to make that happen.

What happens when salespeople try to dominate sales conversations with their words instead of asking more questions and listening to their customer? They make it all about them...instead of the customer.

For those who are relatively new to sales, inexperience can sometimes get the best of you.

It's completely normal to be a bit anxious when you talk to a prospect.

This often results in a salesperson (I.e., you) talking too much to cover up their nerves.

You're afraid if you stop talking it will give the customer a chance to ask a question you don’t know the answer to. Or, to tell you “we’re not interested” or “no.”

For more experienced salespeople, there’s another reason they talk too much. It’s the urge to show off.

To be the smartest person in the room. To parade their hard-won knowledge and expertise in front of customers.

In other words, they fall victim to their vanity. The opposite of humility.

Vanity rarely impresses a customer. More often than not, the need to show you're the smartest person on the call has the opposite effect.

Your humility will resonate more with your customers than your self-romance.

It will help you build and sustain the connection with your customers that results in winning more deals.

Good selling,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

 

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