3/5/2023 0 Comments Comprehensive listeningHere are the types of listening you may experience and practice in the workplace:Ĭomprehensive listening is when you make judgments based on what the other person says and determine the truthfulness of the statements you hear. But you can benefit greatly from learning about the different types of listening, all of which are important to understand both in personal relationships and at work. Listening is just one type of communication skill. In this article, we explore the different types of listening and ways you can practice effective listening. Understanding effective types of listening can help you build your communication skills. ![]() So to me, active listening is, without any doubt, the single most important skill that a salesperson can have.Whether you’re networking with colleagues, starting a new job or trying to land a new client, strong listening skills can help you effectively communicate in professional settings. The beauty of the art of active listening is that it not only serves the individual as a salesperson, but it also serves them as a people manager, an employee, a spouse, a friend, and a parent. “Wow, it sounds like solving this production problem would take a huge load off and free you up for some of the other projects you’re hoping to get to.” This is different from hearing at a self-serving level. It is one thing to be able to summarize the key points of what was said – and that is important-but to reflect what it means back to the speaker is when the speaker will feel heard and understood at a deeper level. This technique, above all, sets a great listener apart from others. #4 Summarize what this means to the speaker Questions like “is that problem affecting other departments?”, “What could this mean to your customer base?” Honing the ability to ask these questions will deepen your understanding significantly. It means asking thought-provoking questions that take the conversation to a deeper level. If I’m not asking questions I run the risk of making assumptions that may not tie back to what the buyer intended. #3 Ask questions to understandĪs I’m listening, when I hear something that could be interpreted multiple ways, or when I hear something that isn’t clear to me, I inquire to be sure that I’m really understanding their intent. The word active means that I am so engaged in listening to another that I really can’t send an email, check my smartphone, plan my best response to an objection, or anything else. It means that as a seller, I change my focus from pitching my product and shift instead to a mode of truly understanding the other person. It couldn’t be more basic, but it is really difficult. #1 Listen with the intent to understandĪctive listening starts with listening with the intent to understand. These four tips will help your sales team improve their active listening skills, but be forewarned: while this sounds simple, it requires a great deal of practice and self-awareness. And that is precisely why great listening is the single most important skill for a top-notch salesperson. When a person has the ability to truly listen (actively listen), they are able to hear what’s being said from the other person’s viewpoint and leave their own agenda on hold long enough to understand the other person. Many times, salespeople listen only to hear what they want to hear, or they listen long enough to interrupt and correct the speakers ‘wrong’ perception or they listen while focused on their agenda. While I believe questioning skills are important, I would argue that there is one skill that sets apart top salespeople from all others: the skill of listening - really listening, to another person. Their thinking is that if you can uncover needs, the rest of the sale will follow more easily. Others say that questioning skills are the most important skill. They espouse, “Give me a good closer and sales will increase”. Others argue that closing skills are really what matters the most. Responses vary: some argue that prospecting skills are the single most important skill – their rationale is that if you don’t have anything in the pipeline, no other sales skill matters. ![]() One of my favorite thought-provoking questions to ask a Sales Manager is “What do you think is the single most important selling skill for a salesperson?”
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