SAM LEVINSON, POPULAR COMEDIAN
A Listening Self-Test
Answer the following questions quickly and honestly.
Choose
if you disagree totally
if you disagree somewhat
if you neither agree nor disagree
if you agree somewhat
if you agree totally
When meeting with clients/potential clients, I
do most of the talking
1
2
3
4
5
tend to interrupt often
1
2
3
4
5
tend to develop rebuttals instead of listening
1
2
3
4
5
tend to be argumentative
1
2
3
4
5
get frustrated if they don’t see my point of view
1
2
3
4
5
tend to finish people’s sentences
1
2
3
4
5
change the subject if I feel I’m getting nowhere
1
2
3
4
5
ignore body language
1
2
3
4
5
feel uncomfortable maintaining eye contact
1
2
3
4
5
see things from my point of view rather than the customers’
1
2
3
4
5
pretend to understand when I don’t
1
2
3
4
5
think about what I’m going to say rather than what is being said
1
2
3
4
5
ignore changes in body language of the client
1
2
3
4
5
listen intently, but fail to recognize what the person is feeling
1
2
3
4
5
fail to grasp emotionally laden words
1
2
3
4
5
never listen to the meaning behind the words
1
2
3
4
5
fail to see things from the other person’s perspective
1
2
3
4
5
neglect to start conversations with a conscious attitude of courtesy and concentration
1
2
3
4
5
* * *
Total your score =
Key to interpretation:
There are three levels of listening — superficial, evaluative, and active.
Superficial listeners hear little and largely ignore what potential buyers are trying to say.
Evaluative listeners are listening to some extent, but put their own biases on what is being communicated to them.
Active listeners are truly engaged in the process of being influenced and will pay attention to both the message and the meaning behind the client’s words.
If you scored 18–36 you are an Active listener.
If you scored 37–72 you are an Evaluative listener.
If you scored 73–90 you are a Superficial listener.
What Have You Learned?
His thoughts were slow
His words were few
And never made to glisten
But he was a joy
Wherever he went
You should have heard him listen.
UNKNOWN
After meeting a prospective customer, are you able to target his needs exactly? Do you know what hot buttons will trigger an enthusiastic “yes”? Consider these questions as a short list of information you should have about a prospective customer:
What industry is the client in?
_________________________________________________
How is the industry performing?
_________________________________________________
How long has the client’s company been in business?
_________________________________________________
What is their reputation in the marketplace?
_________________________________________________
What are their strengths?
_________________________________________________
What are their weaknesses?
_________________________________________________
How would you describe their management style?
_________________________________________________
How are buyers compensated?
_________________________________________________
What tend to be their most important criteria for buying?
_________________________________________________
How much loyalty do they have toward their vendors?
_________________________________________________
What role do they expect their vendors to play after the sale?
_________________________________________________
How receptive are they to ongoing product training and education?
_________________________________________________
Are their relationships with vendors short-or long-term?
_________________________________________________
Do they entertain long-term relationships?
_________________________________________________
How sophisticated are their information systems?
_________________________________________________
Who has supplied them with your product/service up to now?
_________________________________________________
What is their relationship like with alternative vendors?
_________________________________________________
Where do other vendors fall short?
_________________________________________________
Who are the key decision-makers?
_________________________________________________
What might motivate the key decision-makers to change vendors?
_________________________________________________
What process does the organization go through in order to “register” a new vendor?
If you are an effective listener, you will have answered at least 75 percent of these questions in the affirmative. If you didn’t you need to pay more attention!
Chapter 4: Dealing with Objections
Preventing Objections
The sweetest words of pen or song
Are “You are right and I am wrong.”
UNKNOWN
Every salesperson is used to hearing “no.” But the greatest salespeople don’t believe that “no” means “no.” Instead, they hear the potential client say, “I have yet to be convinced, and will change my mind when this happens.”
It is easier to avoid objections than to deal with them. But sometimes objections should be welcomed since they give you insight into the thinking of your client. These insights will help you deal with issues, satisfy the client, and get the order.
Too many objections can create an acrimonious atmosphere that might prevent a win-win outcome. To ensure that the objections you do get are limited and useful for you to meet the needs of your client, avoid words that will create negative sentiments. The most risky are identified below.
“Buy” and “sell.” People are always buying or selling and seldom enjoy the process. So switch to the term “own.” People like to own something; it makes them feel secure.
“Sign.” People don’t like to sign contracts because it gives the feeling of being painted into a corner. It assumes finality, permanence, and inflexibility. Use the word “OK” or “confirm.” For example, “Please OK our understanding” or “Would you confirm our Statement of Work?”
“Contract.” This word conjures up images, like “signing” a one-sided deal, something that lawyers will need to look at, perhaps containing fine print that will prove to be ominous. A contract is very different from a handshake that suggests trust. Instead of asking someone to sign a contract, ask her to “OK our agreement” or “get the paperwork done.”
“Price,” “payment,” “cash,” or “deposit.” These words connote giving rather than receiving. Use the word “invest” instead. For example, “By investing in this program, you will get better trained and motivated staff.”
Overcoming Objections
If you don’t argue with me, it means you haven’t been listening.
UNKNOWN
An objection is a reason for not buying, arising from a prospect’s lack of understanding. It is usually based on insufficient information. Objections are the food of good salespeople. They give you valuable insight into the psyche of the potential buyer. They lay out the extent of the obstacles you are facing and enable you to develop a game plan to solve such problems. Silence and a lack of communication are the salesperson’s worst enemy. They give you nothing to work with and little chance of success. It is most unlikely that you will be able to sell to someone who doesn’t have an objection.
The smart salesperson welcomes objections. It indicates interest. And, if you overcome those objections, your probability of a sale is much greater.
It is unlikely that you will find customers that have no objections. It’s human nature to throw some obstacle in your path with the objective of gaining some advantage in return. On some occasions, however, you might find an unusually large number of roadblocks. This being the case, it is possible that you have made your standard “pitch” with little regard to the specific needs of the customer, made assumptions about the buyer’s needs without confirming them, failed to establish any rapport, not asked for permission to make your pitch, or not done your homework. Research the company through the Web and other sources. Not doing so would indicate a lack of thoroughness and of interest in meeting the specific needs of the client.
When in this situation, rethink your approach and develop a new strategy. The easiest and best way is to ask questions such as “Does what I’m showing you meet your expectations?” or “Am I understanding this information differently from you?” These will give you a chance to find out what’s going on in the buyer’s mind and to consider what you’re doing wrong.
If you regularly get objections from clients, you need to rethink your whole strategy. Are you being proactive and heading off as many objections as possible? Have you been listening? Consider these strategies:
Deal with common objections in your presentation, but put a positive spin on them. For example, say, “While we realize that our price is higher than those of some of our competitors, we have also gone out of our way to justify the price differential by including these additional benefits …”
Cover objections that are unspoken, but obvious from the body language of your potential buyer. By covering an issue that appears to bring some discomfort to the buyer, you are demonstrating your empathy and willingness to deal with issues in a constructive manner. This can be introduced: “You may have been wondering about … so let me tell you about it.”
When an objection is raised, adopt the following strategy:
Never argue. It’s like getting into a boxing ring; you’re going to get hit for sure. Treat each objection as a condition. Then find out if the condition is legitimate. For example, if the buyer says “I’m too old,” ask “Why?” or “What makes you think so?” If they say “I don’t have the money,” ask “How much do you have?” or “How much do you think it would take?” If they say “There is no money in the budget,” say “When are you going to be doing new budgets?”