Sales people like to talk; if you don’t believe me, just listen to a recording of one of your reps (or of yourself!).
This is a problem.
And that’s because when your mouth is open, your ears are closed.
And when your ears are closed, you learn nothing about your prospect’s buying motives, their possible objections, or whether or not they are buying into your pitch.
The solution is simple:
- Cut your pitch in half (or a quarter)
- Learn to use current, non-salesy tie downs
- Ask questions frequently of your prospect
- Find and use the MUTE button to fully listen to their responses
Also, learn to use layering questions when you get answers you either don’t fully understand, or when you get an answer that makes you want to know more about their process, decision making, budget, etc.
Why do sales reps talk so much? Many reasons: nervousness, not wanting to hear no, lack of training, etc.,
What’s the solution? A good, tight, non-salesy script.
And not only a script—but one that you and your team adheres to.
A good script—and script playbook—changes companies and careers.
On the other hand, if you continue to ad-lib and make your pitch up, then you will continue to struggle, talk past the close, introduce objections, and, worse, keep talking…and talking…and talking.
In sales, less talking and more questioning and more listening is the key to success.
This week, look at the script your company gave you when you began working there.
Rewrite it.
Shorten it.
Intersperse it with tons of questions and tie-downs and opportunities to engage and learn more about your prospects.
Doing so will not only make your job easier, but it will make you more successful as well.