The Key to Sales Success

The Key to Sales Success

By: Brian Tracy

Learn to Listen Well

A  vital key to sales success is listening. The ability to listen well is  absolutely indispensable for success in all human relationships. The ability to  be a good listener in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of  selling. It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater enjoyment from  the sales profession.

Being A Good Talker is Not Enough

Many  salespeople have been brought up with the idea that, in order to be good at your  profession, you must be a glad-hander and a good talker. You have even heard  people say, “You have the ‘gift of the gab’; you should be in  sales!”

Focus  On the Other Person

Nothing  could be further from the truth. As many as seventy five percent of all top  salespeople are defined as introverts on psychological tests. They are very easy  going and other-centered. They would much rather listen than talk. They are very  interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people and they are quite  comfortable sitting and listening to their prospects. They would much rather  listen than talk in a sales situation. Poor salespeople dominate the talking,  but top salespeople dominate the listening.

Practice “White Magic” With Everyone

Listening  has even been called “white magic.” It is too rarely engaged in by business  people. When a salesperson develops a reputation for being an excellent  listener, prospects and customers feel comfortable and secure in his or her  presence. They buy more readily, and more often.

Practice the 70/30 Rule

You’ve  heard it said that God gave man two ears and one mouth, and he is supposed to  use them in that proportion.

Top salespeople practice the “70/30 rule.”  They talk and ask questions 30 percent or less of the time while they listen  intently to their customers 70 percent or more of the time. They use their ears  and mouth in the right ratio.

Action  Exercises

Here  are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into
action.

First, resolve today that, from now on, you are going to dominate  the listening in every sales conversation. Become comfortable with  silence.

Second, practice the 70/30 rule in every sales conversation.  Listen 70% of the time and only talk and ask questions 30% of the  time.