Why We Are Poor Listeners

Lazy listening is enormously costly to our success. Most of us think we are good listeners, but that overconfidence may be the reason for our downfall. Nothing puts a sales call in jeopardy faster than poor, inattentive listening. Customers don't take long to get a sense of your listening commitment, especially given the fact that 90% of communication is nonverbal. That's right, 90%. About 55% is through obvious body language and 35% is by how you say it. Given these overwhelming statistics, it's pretty tough to convince the customer that you are listening if in fact you're not.

We listen at about 25% of our potential. We miss, ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75% of what we hear. Hard to believe perhaps, but true. Given these statistics, we can see why communication breaks down so quickly. The receiver is responding to only 25% of the sender's message. That's why during my seminars I suggest that, "In most cases, communication is not part of the conversation." Such lazy listening habits are very costly, to both your business and your personal success.

Improvement begins with an understanding of why people have a natural tendency to be poor listeners. Rather than have you put this book down and promise aloud, "I will be a better listener," I offer you the four reasons why we are poor listeners.

Our predominant thoughts focus on ourselves and sex. We think of ourselves 24 hours a day—how we look, feel, our personal problems and successes, work, and so on. Even while we sleep. Did you ever have a dream where you weren't in it? Probably not. We see ourselves as the most important element of our lives, followed by a natural attraction to sex. Psychologists agree that on average we think of sex consciously or unconsciously every two and a half minutes. We were put on this planet to reproduce, so thank goodness He made it fun. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory reinforces this concept, along with our overwhelming need to be loved and accepted. People will go to great lengths to satisfy those needs. It's no wonder we are poor listeners when sitting with our customers. Our agendas usually take precedence over theirs.

Our minds wander. Our minds think approximately eight times faster than we talk. We normally speak at approximately 130 words per minute, we listen and understand at up to 400 words per minute, and we can think at 1,000 words per minute. Unbelievable but true. Here's the dilemma: our customers talk to us at 130 words per minute and we think at 1,000 words per minute. Mental drift is too easy and often results in minimal communication during a conversation. Clearly, it takes tremendous discipline to stay focused on the customer's message. By the way, your customers also experience mental drift at a speed of 1,000 words per minute. Chances are good that during a feature dump their minds will wander off somewhere else, perhaps Jamaica or Barbados.

We can't wait to reply. Our unbridled enthusiasm to reply sabotages the communication model. We often listen with the sole intent to reply. At the expense of effective listening we formulate a response, at a speed of 1,000 words per minute, before the sender has completed commenting. The second they finish speaking we jump in with what we think is a valid, appropriate response. Our quick response is further fueled by our perceptions and biases as we attempt to decode their message. When you jump in with your quick response, it clearly communicates to the sender that you were not listening, that you were more concerned with your reply rather than understanding the message. It can be very frustrating and irritating when you know the listener is not paying attention and is preoccupied with formulating a response.

Listening is a lot easier when you like the person and agree with the message. The most difficult time to listen is when you disagree with what you're seeing or hearing. Under those conditions, many listeners aren't listening at all—they're preoccupied with drafting a rebuttal. The challenge is to put personal feelings aside and focus on the message. As with effective negotiation, deal with the issues, not the personalities.

A suggestion to help overcome your tendency to offer an immediate reply is to wait two to three seconds before you reply. Let the sender finish her comments, look her in the eye, acknowledge her input with a nod or a verbal sign, then reply. The big plus is that if you wait a moment your customer may start talking again and yes, that's a good thing.

We interrupt—a lot. Everybody has an opinion and loves to get his two cents' worth in. Even if we aren't asked, we willingly lend our views and comments, thinking that we are making a significant contribution. Over the years we have been conditioned to interrupt, or we may not get a chance to share our views, which of course are critical if the conversation is going to have any substance. What fuels our need to interrupt is that we are always thinking of self or sex and we can do it at 1,000 words per minute. With this lethal combination it's no wonder we are poor listeners.

Effective listening means more than refraining from the bad habit of interrupting. Good listening means being satisfied to listen to the entire message rather than waiting impatiently to jump in with your response.

My informal research suggests that a conversation won't last longer than 20 to 30 seconds before an interruption occurs—someone jumping in with a story, another view. However, in a sales call it can be advantageous to interrupt with questions that clarify your understanding of the situation. I refer to this as productive interruption. Customers are tolerant of clarification questions because the focus remains on them and you are showing interest.

To further demonstrate your commitment to the customer and to improve your listening skills, be sure to take notes during the sales call. There is no way you will remember all the details and issues you discussed. In regard to note-taking protocol, be sure to ask permission to take notes when you are in the customer's office. It's polite, respectful, and your nonverbal message is, "This meeting is important so I need to take some notes." If you are in the neutral territory of a boardroom or a meeting room, you do not need permission. However, ask anyway. If the customer is getting ahead of you and your note-taking, simply interrupt the customer by saying, "That's a great point, let me make a note of that." The customer will be happy to give you a few seconds to complete your notes. At the end of the meeting you might consider summarizing the important points. You can preface this with, "As I understand it . . ."

When you improve your listening skills, you hold a competitive edge. Lucky for you, listening gets scant recognition by your competitors. As we know, listening is not strongly identified in selling and you are not likely to be "out-listened" by the competition. They're too busy trying to get the customer to listen.

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Communication Skills

Effective communication is essential for a successful sale but is probably one of the most overlooked, underdeveloped skills in professional selling. We cannot take communication for granted simply because we are fluent in the English language—but we do. The cornerstone of effective communication is sensitivity to the needs of others. It begins with an understanding of the communication process. Encoding occurs when a sender translates thoughts into a message. The receiver must decode the message and try to understand what the sender intended to communicate. Communication is effective only when the receiver accurately understands what the sender intended to transmit. It's not uncommon to hear someone say, "Yeah, but that's not what I meant" or "I thought you said this ..."

Communication in selling involves more than presenting your product or service; it involves an active, two-way exchange of ideas and thoughts. However, research suggests that in most calls salespeople do up to 60% of the talking. ^[1] Wrong thing to do. Remember PEZ, Please Excuse my Zealousness. We often think of ourselves as good communicators because we have the gift of the gab. I know of several people who were encouraged to pursue a career in sales because they were great talkers. We equate speaking with control and power, assuming the spotlight is focused on the talkers rather than the listeners. Our society recognizes and rewards great orators, actors, singers, public speakers, and news commentators who excel at one-way communication. There are lots of books and seminars on developing public speaking skills but when did you ever hear of a seminar on public listening skills? They don't exist. Unfortunately, listening is not the sexy part of the communication model. I would suggest that the biggest violation of the communication model is poor listening skills.

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Avoid the Penalty Box

The penalty box is a very crowded, impoverished place where sales representatives frequently find themselves. However, a visit to the penalty box can easily go undetected. The problem is twofold: Sales representatives not only don't realize they're there; or worse, they don't know why they were sent there.

A visit to the penalty box occurs when the salesperson has relinquished control of the sales call by immediately answering the customer's question. Salespeople tend to answer questions too quickly, failing to determine why the question was asked in the first place. Have you ever stopped to wonder why a customer is asking you a question? If you remove your assumptions, the answer is, "I don't know why he asked that." You run the danger of committing to an answer prior to understanding the customer's reason for asking it. Eagerly answering all his questions immediately can have dire consequences to the outcome of a sales call.

You can maintain control of the sales call by answering high-impact questions with a question. Customers usually have a good reason for asking a question, so it's in your best interest to find out why. What might be in the back of their minds? What's the motivation behind the question? Jumping on the question with a quick, clever answer simply gives up control. You are totally at the mercy of the customer's interpretation of your answer. A visit to the penalty box is one of the biggest reasons salespeople lose sales.

The problem stems from the process we were taught in our educational system. We were conditioned by our teachers and parents to, "Just answer the question." In class we were taught to raise our hand and spit out an answer. When answered correctly, it fueled self-esteem and heightened our confidence, especially in the presence of our classmates and our teachers. Sales entrepreneurs have learned to resist the temptation to immediately respond to questions, but rather to inquire about the reason for asking. I offer this five-step strategy to help you safeguard yourself against unproductive time spent in the penalty box.

1. Identify the question as either high impact or low impact. Ask, "What impact will my answer have on the buying decision?" A high-impact question means your answer will either negatively or positively impact the customer's decision to buy from you. You must listen carefully to the question, put it in the context of the conversation, and decide on your answer's impact. If high impact, go to Step 2. If low impact, simply answer the question.

2. Compliment their question—make them feel good. Thank them for asking you a good question, one that perhaps you haven't heard before. It may have been asked because of its importance or relevancy to the situation but you won't know until you ask. In any case, be sure to acknowledge the question as a good one.

3. Identify the agenda. Why is the customer asking the question? At this point, only the customer knows. Politely probe the reason for asking. You need to be delicate with this because you don't want to appear confrontational by blurting out, "Why do you ask?" Your response should sound like this: "That's a good question, I've never been asked that before. Would you share with me your reason for asking?" Articulate your response to the question using your own words, your own style. The customer will usually share some thoughts, helping you pinpoint exact concerns.

   Echoing can also be an effective method to reveal your customer's hidden agenda. When the customer finishes asking a question, simply repeat or echo a couple of key words from the question. For example, a customer says, "Your delivery schedule seems to be too long!" Your respond with, "Too long?" Your echo will stimulate a response.

4. Bridge. Now that you understand the customer's reason for asking, bridge the appropriate feature to the benefit. For example, if he were curious or uncertain about delivery and Step 3 revealed that he wants rush deliveries when required, you can scroll your features menu and pick one that best satisfies that particular need, then bridge it as a benefit.

5. Verify. Ask the customer, "Have I answered your question? Have I addressed your concern?" Do not press forward with the sales call until you have satisfied his concern. Earning the right to advance means leaving behind no unresolved questions, concerns, or objections.

To illustrate the five steps, let's look at a fairly typical scenario. A relatively new salesperson is calling on a potential A account who is doing business with the salesperson's biggest competitor. Midway through the sales call, the customer asks:

C	How long have you been in the industry? (high-impact question)
S	That's a good question that I'm often asked and I'll be happy to answer it. Is experience something you are looking for in a salesperson?
C	Yes it is. I want someone with no fewer than 10 to 12 years of industry experience. Our business is unique and we rely on our suppliers to keep us current with industry trends and new technologies.
S	Although I've only been in the business for two years, I have a wealth of knowledge and support at the office. In fact our group represents over 100 man-years of experience. The benefit to you is that as your salesperson, I can put that experience to work for you.
C	True enough. I didn't consider things from that angle.
S	Have I addressed your concern?

You have now earned the right to continue. The response was both honest and right. These five steps should only serve as a guideline to managing the sales dialogue. The concept of answering a question with a question is not new, it's been around for decades. However, I am simply packaging the process in a professional, manageable format. The objective is to foster appreciation and respect for your customer's question; take a moment to pause, and consider why it is being asked. Even when you provide an honest answer, it may not be the right one. Of course all of your answers will be honest, but are they the best answers? There is a big difference. Our answers must align themselves with the customer's agenda. I'm not suggesting that avoiding the penalty box is a new sales gimmick or a manipulative maneuver, it's not. It's simply an effective tactic to synchronize the call. Now take a moment and imagine the consequences of just blurting out an honest answer.

C	How long have you been in the industry?
S	Two years. I started just after we moved into our new building.
C	Really.
S	Yeah, so let me just finish up what I was talking to you about.

Although the answer of "two years" is honest, it was the wrong one. The customer now tells you, "Well, thanks for coming by. I've got your brochures and pricing, we'll keep you on file." You just got sent to the penalty box, and chances are you have no idea why. Customers interpret your answers based on their biases and perceptions. In this case, the customer hears the answer "two years" and interprets that as having no experience. It was honest, but wrong. Honesty and right must work together, you can't have one without the other; otherwise you're in the penalty box. If nothing else, this concept will heighten your awareness of how important it is to pay attention to customers' questions and avoid the penalty box.

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Inverse Bridging

Inverse bridging occurs when you start with a benefit and bridge it back to the supporting feature. This approach says to the customer, "This is what we can do for you (benefit) and this is how we do it (feature)." This is an excellent strategy to make a telephone appointment, to create demand in a new or existing account, or to gain interest when making cold calls. Customers frequently challenge salespeople by demanding, "Why should I see you?" or "How can you help my business?" or "I'm too busy, call me in three months." Sound familiar? When on the telephone the challenge is to get the customer's attention quickly and sell the appointment. Features rarely get attention quickly, but by stating a benefit right up front you may bait the prospect enough to stimulate mild curiosity. The question is, what benefits do you use to stimulate interest? My advice is to use the benefits that have proven popular with current customers. Do some research. Know the benefits of your product or service that are consistently accepted by your customer base. Alternatively, offer a benefit that you know will directly impact your customer's business. Remember, it is the customer who validates your benefit so don't be shocked if they reject your initial attempt at inverse bridging. If they do, simply acknowledge their indifference and suggest other benefits that may be more relevant. The objective with inverse bridging is not to sell them, but to gain access. The following illustration shows inverse
bridging.

Every salesperson at some point in time has experienced the frustration of trying to make appointments. One approach that has proven effective is to suggest to the potential customer during the initial telephone conversation that you may not have anything to sell him or her. If they ask, "What are you going to sell me?" simply respond with, "At this point, I'm not sure—maybe nothing. However, what I would like is 15 minutes of your time to explore the possibility of our companies doing business." The very suggestion that you are not trying to sell them something will get the customer's attention. They will feel more relaxed about granting you an appointment. The use of inverse bridging and the "maybe nothing" statement is a potent combination that will increase your success with first-time appointments. Participants at my seminars agree that this approach is unconventional but they recognize how it can be immensely effective.

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Effective Bridging

Once you have identified the appropriate features and the hot-buttons, it's time to bridge. Bridging occurs when you link the feature to the benefit. Each feature offers several potential benefits that must be explained in detail for the customer to fully appreciate it as a benefit. In the end, the customer decides if the feature is in fact a benefit. Remember, customers buy benefits, not features. Features on their own represent the so-what information I spoke of earlier. Don't feature dump.

Although this book is not about scripts and rigid steps to follow, I do suggest you consider this very short, succinct script while you get comfortable with bridging, "The benefit to you is ..." These five words verbally initiate the bridge, taking a feature to a benefit. Once the feature is bridged to a benefit, confirm its acceptance by asking, "Do you see this (feature) as a benefit to you and your business?" If your customer agrees, you have successfully bridged the feature and anchored it as a benefit. The following diagram illustrates bridging.

The above illustration represents the three steps of effective bridging.

Step 1:	In conversation with your customer, features #2, #5 and #7 were identified as hot-buttons, relevant features. The other features proved to be of little interest, so-what information. Continue to verbally scroll your menu until you have identified three or four features of interest.
Step 2:	Bridge appropriate features using the statement, "The benefit to you is ..." This statement ensures your customer is thinking in terms of benefits. Go on to explain the benefits of the feature in terms of your customer's specific requirements and how the benefits relate to his or her needs.
Step 3:	Validate the customer's acceptance of the benefits by asking, "Do you see this (feature) as a benefit?" If yes, you have benefits.

Bridging is a fundamental ingredient of a successful call. When followed, the three steps eliminate the monotony of feature dumping, identify a tailored solution, shorten the sales cycle and show customers how you can help their business. Benefits sell, features tell.

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Feature Fishing

Now it's time to go fishing. Just hang on, I don't mean taking the day off to head out to your favorite fishing hole. I'm referring to fishing right in the customer's office, verbal casting. Bait the conversation with questions that reveal the customer's needs, expectations, and hot-buttons. Although you have done your pre-call planning on the macro issues, you cannot learn intimate knowledge of your customer's business until you engage in a conversation. During this conversation your objective is to fish around to discover the features on your menu that may be of interest.

I offer two methods of feature fishing: 1) Simply ask your customer what's important when considering a supplier. What specifics is he or she looking for? What are his or her expectations? What makes a good vendor? 2) Suggest some of your more popular features by scrolling through your menu. Ask the customer: "Have you thought about... ?" "Have you considered . . . ?" "Did you know that . . . ?" "Have you ever used ... ?" and so on. It's the same as your server in a restaurant recommending daily specials. The answers to your probes help identify specific requirements, information you wouldn't glean from an annual report or the receptionist. Personally, I prefer a combination of the two methods.

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Probe Architecture: Peel the Onion

use the word architecture because that's what needs to happen: You must design smart questions to ask. Probes unquestionably persuade more powerfully than any other form of verbal behavior. The success of a sales call depends more than anything else on how thorough your needs analysis is. The effort you invest in developing and asking smart questions to uncover customer needs, biases, perceptions, and fears that are not normally revealed to salespeople will pay off handsomely. The ultimate prize will go to the one who asks the best questions. I refer to the practice of asking smart questions as peeling the onion. As with dicing an onion, stupid questions (common questions) may cause your customer's eyes to glaze over and communicate impatience. The more layers you can peel away from suspicious, apprehensive customers, the sooner you get to the heart of their needs. Ask stupid questions and you get useless information, probably the same information your competitor walked away with. I think Werner Heisberg, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, said it best, "Nature does not reveal its secrets, it only responds to our method of questioning."

The object is to design probes to encourage your customers to reveal their needs—peel the onion. Standard practice is to distinguish between open and closed probes, but don't limit yourself to only these two.

Open probes are used to get the customer talking, to divulge information, and to perhaps reveal unexpected information. They get the prospect to explain and talk openly about their business and current situation. Open probes generate a talkative, conversational response. Some authors suggest the five Ws (who, what, where, when, or why) are good open questions to start with. I disagree. I consider them closed questions that can often be answered with one- or two-word answers. I offer the following open probe prompts:

• Tell me about ...

• Explain to me ...

• In what way ...

• Help me understand ...

• Can you elaborate ...

• Share with me ...

• Please tell me how ...

• How else ...

• What do you mean by ...

• What are your thoughts/ideas/experiences/reflections ...

• If you could build or design the perfect _______, what would it look like ... ?

These are excellent, field-tested prompts used to encourage a talkative response. Simply tell your customer up front that you need to ask questions to better understand their business. Customers love to talk about their business, their job, and their company. You can't ask too many questions. However, if your customer becomes impatient with your questioning, simply restate your objective and perhaps reschedule another appointment. Don't let their anxiousness draw you into a response before you understand their business. Be patient.

Closed probes are used to get very specific information. They usually limit the response to one-word answers. Closed probes are less powerful and have an uncanny ability to increase tension. They can be intimidating to certain personality styles. The other concern is that they end the conversation. Once a closed probe is answered you have to start another conversation. Closed probes should only be used for verification, commitment, or confirming (closing). Examples of closed prompts include the words:

• do

• have

• are

• will

• won't

• can

• can't

• shall

An excellent strategy to help identify the decision maker (the bag of money) is to use these three closed probes when talking with your customer or with senior management:

1. Do you (Does X) make the decisions?

2. Do you (Does X) have a budget?

3. Do you (Does X) talk with anyone else prior to a decision?

My experience shows that the customer will answer yes to the first two questions but introduce a second party when asked the third question. This is a red flag because the additional person is often the final decision maker. You must understand who is involved and how the final decision is made. Your objective now is to get an audience with that person, hopefully with the support of your initial contact. This simple strategy is so overlooked and yet effective that it alone will help increase your close ratio. We often waste a lot of time by getting sucked into dealing with the wrong people, people who think they have the final authority to purchase.

Reflective probes are used to identify personal biases of the customer, which is exactly what you want. Customers often answer questions with an eye to the corporation, answering with the best interests of the corporation in mind. However, you need to differentiate yourself by understanding and satisfying the personal biases and preferences of the buyer, the bag of money. Reflective probes are very effective for drawing out background information, personal feelings, and opinions. To get past common corporate responses, ask uncommon questions. Design specific, reflective probes, that encourage your customer to tell you things not told to the competition. The decision to buy from you will be based on satisfying both corporate needs as well as personal biases and preferences. Your customer can decide on vendor A or B, both are capable of doing a good job, but the final decision comes down to which vendor recognized and satisfied all aspects of their decision. For example, the customer may only have two years' experience with the current company but 15 years' experience in the industry. You want to tap into his or her total experience. That information can help you design a solution that satisfies both corporate needs and personal biases. In the training business, role playing is a good example—some customers like them and some are biased against feeling they are too artificial and ineffective. Know the human side of your customer. The key is to recognize your customer's work experience and ask well-designed reflective probes. Reflective probes include the words:

• feel

• opinion

• perception

• sense

• personally

• aware

• belief

• view

• experience

• previous

Examples include; "What are your personal feelings about . . .?" or "What is your perception of ...?" or "What is your previous experience with ...?" A favorite of mine is "If it were" your company what would you do?" That usually gets them going.

You'll be amazed at the unexpected responses, yet pleased with the helpful information reflective probes reveal.

Conversational probes represent a style of questioning that is gaining in popularity. I have been experimenting with conversational probes, and along with other sales entrepreneurs I have found that it's a much more relaxed, natural approach. Conversational probes are used to start, encourage, and maintain a normal conversation. The questions themselves are not anything special or unique, but I suggest it's a matter of using a mixture of open, closed, and reflective probes while pursing a normal conversation.

Quite frankly, I suggest you quit worrying about labeling your probes opened or closed and simply ask your customer a series of smart questions and enjoy a professional, social type of conversation. Continue your conversational probes until all the customer's needs and expectations have been explored and all the parameters to a possible solution have been covered. In other words, keep asking questions until a solution presents itself, until a 100-watt light bulb goes off in your head with a solution that excites both you and your customer. I would suggest that in a typical sales call you should be asking upwards of 50–60 questions. A lot of these questions are what I refer to as clarification questions. For example, if the customer responds to your "What is important to you?" question with "Service is important" then you must clarify it by asking "What does good service look like to you?" Likewise, if they respond with "Quality is important" or "Delivery is important" you must clarify by asking exactly what they mean by quality or delivery. The danger is sales representatives are far too zealous to respond rather than taking the time to fully understand the customers' issues. Hence, by using a combination of conversational, reflective, and clarification probes, it doesn't take long to ask 50–60 questions.

Should our communication strategy change when talking to a customer versus a friend or spouse? It shouldn't. Keep it simple and relaxed. I've yet to hear a salesperson say, "I look forward to getting home and asking my spouse a bunch of open and closed probes!" Imagine your spouse responding with, "Honey, I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask me so many closed probes, please ask me more open probes." Sounds a little ridiculous, I agree. My point is this: Why be guided by a mechanical, clinical approach to probing during the day, then take a relaxed, more natural social approach with friends and family. Adapt one simple, consistent approach that accommodates both business and social interactions. You will feel a lot more confident and relaxed in both kinds of interactions.

How often has your sales manager questioned you about open or closed probes? I've yet to hear a sales manager ask, "Sounds like you had a great call. Congratulations. Tell me, how many open and closed probes did you ask?" Who cares! As if we don't have enough to think about during a sales call. The point is you closed the sale with a win-win solution.

I appreciate that my probing approach may be unconventional, but it's proving to be a simple, less stressful approach and is certainly appreciated by my customers. It's a refreshing change for both parties.

In their unbridled enthusiasm or nervousness, salespeople often overlook an important aspect of the discovery stage—asking permission to ask questions. Asking permission can be as simple as, "Ms. Smith, we've been able to help hundreds of companies with various training solutions. We may be able to help you. I don't know if we can or not but to determine that, may I ask you a few questions?" Alternatively, you might ask, "To make the best use of our time today I'd like to ask you a few questions. Would you mind?" By asking permission, you help relax the situation. Your customer becomes a willing participant in the task of finding a possible solution that makes life a little easier.

Once you have their permission (which will be 99.9% of the time), you now have license to proceed with a series of planned, well-thought-out questions. The secrets to a smooth and speedy close are often contained in the answers. Your customer's answers help pinpoint the area where you may be able to help them. It's like a game. Questions unlock the secrets to closing the sale; ask the right questions, get the right information, and present the right solution. The quality of your questions and your confidence to ask them in a logical, fluid sequence is what demonstrates to the potential customer that you are a competent professional.

Tim Commandment #5

Use quality questions to unlock the secrets to confirming more sales.

Ask: Am I asking enough smart questions? Do I understand their needs and expectations?

As the questioning proceeds, your customer is drawn more and more into the conversation because answering demands total attention. The average person speaks at approximately 130 words per minute, but can think at approximately 1,000 words per minute. While you are talking (feature dumping) it's very easy for the customer to listen as well as think about other things including possible objections, problems at work or home, an argument with the teenager last night, missing a Visa payment, or the prediction of rain for tomorrow's 2:30 tee-off time. Questions minimize mental drift and help keep control of the sales call. The longer you talk, the more opportunity the customer has to drift into another world. However, the instant you ask a question the customer snaps back to the conversation and refocuses on you. Control lies with the person asking the questions. Your goal is to do more listening than talking. As long as you're talking, you're going to hear stuff you already know. Think about it. To learn, you must be silent and listen. By the way, silent and listen contain the same letters and I find it interesting that ear is found in learn and earn.

Your needs analysis will reveal one of three possible scenarios. The customer is aware of your product but is currently using the competition and is not interested in you; the customer is unfamiliar with your product and shows no interest; or the customer is unaware of your product but expresses an interest. The latter is what I call creating demand—introducing a product or service never used before by an existing or a potential customer. Demand is created by understanding the customers' needs and presenting the product or service as a benefit to their business. Customers are always on the lookout for a competitive edge. The introduction of your product or service just might help to achieve that competitive edge. However, you must appreciate that even though you created the initial demand, the customer may invite your competition to present their product for comparative reasons and to validate the legitimacy of the new product or service.

Of the three possible scenarios, the first one is most common: A customer has a need but is currently using a competitor. Thus, your goal is to ask carefully planned questions that encourage the customer to review the performance of an existing supplier. Your questions may reveal some instances of poor service or quality. Through this tactful method you do not criticize your competitor; your customer does.

Some authors suggest that selling is a "hurt and rescue" business. Find the hurt, uncover the pain, discover the problem, and come to the rescue. This concept suggests that the customer has been living with an intolerable situation and that your product or service will provide instant relief from all suffering. Sales representatives buy into this concept thinking customers are suffering from a gaping wound that only their product or service will heal. Wrong! The reality is that your potential customer is doing just fine without you or your remedy for instant relief. The challenge is to discover an inconvenience or dissatisfaction that the customer is experiencing with their existing vendor, and then provide a solution that resolves it. Even though the customer is somewhat satisfied, your solution must focus on alleviating the inconvenience. Otherwise, why would they switch to you? They won't.

An inconvenience is a situation that is less than ideal, but your customer is prepared to tolerate it. The customer may feel that fixing it may not be worth the effort, or a different vendor might make things worse. I suggest that it may only be an inconvenience because as I mentioned earlier, your competition mirrors approximately 90% or more of your features so you know they are doing a pretty good job servicing the customer. Very few products or services are perceived as providing a unique advantage.

Differences between competitors are much more subtle today than perhaps even five years ago. Today we sell in an intensely competitive marketplace. Enhanced competition, pressures to differentiate and global impact have made even the best features and benefits temporary as well as tenuous. Often the customer is left struggling to sort out the differences. Remember, your customers buy from you based on less than 5% of your features. Unfortunately, price becomes the easiest and quickest way for a customer to validate differences between competitors and justify a purchase. That's why price gets the attention it does.

By asking a series of smart, well-thought-out questions, customers will reveal clues as to the features that will satisfy the sale. Just as in baking or cooking, there must be the right mix of ingredients (features) to produce the desired results.

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The PSIP Method

Let's now explore the PSIP method: Pleasantries, Show-off, Inform, Probe. PSIP represents the four navigational buoys of an effective opening strategy, designed to help you neutralize initial tension and make a smooth transition into the needs analysis stage. All four components of PSIP must work in accord with each other in order to take advantage of this proven approach. A well-executed PSIP strategy is your springboard into a smooth opening and is a great confidence builder early in the call. It is a great way to launch into the heart of the sales call, relax the initial tension, stripping away the stiffness of the call. A strong opening strategy arouses the customer's curiosity and respect, often setting the tone for the entire call, including telephone calls.

The PSIP method is not reserved for first-time sales calls only. It also works well with existing customers. Just as the Sequential Model must be applied to every sales situation, PSIP must also be utilized at every sales call, regardless of your customer's tenure.

Pleasantries. Customers form an opinion about you within 15 seconds, even before you speak. They evaluate your posture, dress, hygiene, grooming, and attitude.

Pleasantries include two aspects, visual and verbal. First impressions encompass both aspects, and can be a tremendous asset or a costly liability. Many salespeople make a poor impression without realizing it by overlooking important details such as proper dress, punctuality, grooming, and overall professionalism. You can't afford to let any aspect of your approach, visual or verbal, compromise the impression you communicate to your customer. Be cognizant of the impact of your physical appearance and how it can affect your customer's evaluation of you. Your visual assets, how you look to the customer, are something to be proud of. This is an important aspect of nonverbal communication. Show up on time feeling good, looking good, thinking good, and ready to do business. Emulate the attitude of a winner, a champion. Customers want to deal with winners, so look like one. The most important presentation you make is to yourself every morning in the mirror.

Verbal pleasantries means initiating social conversation with the customer using local events, current events, or global events as possible topics of conversation. Take 15 minutes before you leave the house or your hotel and peruse the morning paper, perhaps the business section or the sports section. Be informed. It can be a great ice-breaker and a source of conversation, especially if you're from out of town. During the pleasantries stage try to keep the conversation social. Encourage your customer to respond on a personal level rather than on a formal business level. A short, humorous personal story such as, "You'll never guess what happened to me this morning . . ." identifies you as a real human being. It can do wonders to help people relax.

Another big advantage of the pleasantries stage is the opportunity it provides to identify your customer's behavioral style. Ask yourself, "What quadrant is she in?" and "How do I need to adjust?" The pleasantries stage begins to reveal preferred styles by way of dress and mannerisms. A talkative response or a quick short answer to your questions will tell you a lot about your customer's style. Behavioral styles and behavioral flexibility are discussed in detail throughout Chapter 6.

The key to forging a long-term relationship with your customer is to build rapport by way of adjusting to your customer's preferred behavioral style. By definition, rapport means having something in common, a link, some way to connect with your customer. Use behavioural flexibility, coupled with appropriate social conversation, to build rapport. Don't rely on a picture of a sailboat hanging in the office to stimulate conversation. It can be viewed as a shallow approach to building rapport and I'm sure your customer is sick of talking about it every time a sales representative comes into the office.

Depending upon the customer's style, the pleasantries stage can be as quick as one minute or as long as fifteen minutes. Remember, each call is situational. I caution you to safeguard yourself against conversational drift. Don't let the talkative customer dominate all your time with such topics as religion, capital punishment, or empty chatter that compromises the objective of the pleasantry stage.

During the pleasantry stage you begin to understand your customer's preferred business style, just as the customer will have a good feeling about you and your level of confidence. By the way, my previous point about a customer forming an opinion about you within 15 seconds works both ways. You too begin to form an impression about your customer early and quickly.

The best advice I can offer for the pleasantries stage is to be yourself, guided by a positive attitude and the confidence that comes with effective planning and preparation.

Show-off. The second stage of PSIP is the opportunity to show off your new-found wisdom. Take a subtle approach. By way of conversation and visual evidence (annual reports, brochures) let the customer know you've done your homework. This is the point where social conversation (pleasantries) shifts to business conversation. You have invested some non-selling, janitorial hours in planning and preparing so now it's time to get a return on that investment. Your return comes in the form of the customer's appreciation for your obvious commitment and professionalism. As discussed in Chapter 3, take an, "Oh, by the way" approach to present your information. Take out their annual report and any brochures that you received prior to the call and refer to them. For example, "Oh, by the way, I noticed in your annual report some comments about your recent acquisition of ABC Company," or "I noticed in your brochures you manufacture ten different models." You can even use competitive intelligence to show off by saying, "I understand your competitors have discontinued manufacturing their . . ." This demonstrates your knowledge of their industry as well as their business. Powerful stuff. What better way to get your customers' interest and attention and build credibility than by talking about their business? The examples of show-off items are endless, but be sure to relate your show-off items to current, relevant information about their business.

A case in point: My associate and I made a sales call to the head office of a company. We arrived early for our appointment, and had an opportunity to review some additional literature displayed in their lobby. Our contact, the VP of Quality and Training, introduced himself and showed us into the boardroom. We had barely sat down, working through the pleasantries stage, when he asked us, "What do you know about our company?" With great enthusiasm my associate produced their annual report and a few of their brochures attained prior to the appointment and then proceeded to talk about their business. We had done our homework. The customer was impressed with our knowledge. We had earned the right to proceed with the call and the next hour went very well. His confidence in us led to an introduction to the VP of Sales and Marketing, a pivotal decisionmaker in the sales process.

The show-off stage has tremendous impact on the outcome of your sales call. I think more and more customers are going to openly challenge salespeople about the extent of their knowledge. Without the benefit of planning, you put yourself in a perilous situation, sitting in the customer's office with a look on your face that resembles a deer caught in the headlights. The show-off stage of PSIP is an excellent way to differentiate yourself, not to mention the confidence derived from having conversational knowledge about your potential customer.

Inform. The Inform stage of PSIP provides an opportunity to inform your customer about what you are selling and the reason for your visit. I refer to this stage as synchronizing the call; advising the customer of your call objectives. This helps align your call agenda to the customer's buying agenda. Amazingly, customers are often subjected to long-winded feature dumps, but are never really sure what the objective is or what the sales representative is trying to accomplish. I have witnessed calls where the customer and the salesperson are completely out of sync. The expectations of each are totally different. Perhaps I should have titled this book, Synchronized Selling.

Getting in sync with your customer means asking a few up-front questions to evaluate his or her understanding of what you represent. Ask, "Have you heard of our company before?" and "Do you know what we do?" If the customer answers no to either question, give a quick overview of who you are and what you are selling. Synchronize the call. Don't feature dump them with reams of useless information, but rather respond with an informative two- to three-minute information statement. Consider this your corporate infomercial. To add impact to your information statement, include a few key benefits that previous customers have come to appreciate. This stage of PSIP need not take more than three to five minutes. Brevity is a virtue.

Probe. The entrepreneurial style of selling places emphasis on probing for needs and expectations, exploring for an opportunity to satisfy an existing inconvenience or dissatisfaction with a current vendor. Skillful use of questions is the essence of an effective needs analysis, which of course is the prerequisite to a creative, tailored solution. Creative solutions drive the relationship. There is a direct correlation between the success of salespeople and their confidence to ask superior questions. The challenge is not the ability to ask questions but rather the confidence to ask enough of the right questions. I have seen countless situations where salespeople make the mistake of asking only a few scripted questions then launch into an enthusiastic, well-rehearsed feature dump based on what they think should be of interest to the customer. Rarely do they plan the questions they will ask. Sales entrepreneurs realize that the questions you ask customers are more important than anything you tell them. By answering questions, customers state their ideas, thoughts, and needs in their own words. If they say it, it's true. If you say it, they can doubt you. They quickly sense your presentation (feature dump) is based on your own self-serving interests, and the reaction is sure to be negative. You must be interested, as well as interesting. Imagine the impression you would create on a blind date if you did most of the talking and didn't ask any questions. It wouldn't make for a very interesting conversation. I don't think there would be a second date; just as there won't be a second appointment with a potential customer.

Most customers divulge as little as possible, especially during the early stage of the call. Unless you probe with smart questions, they give you only average information. Dumb questions begets dumb information, which means you deliver a dumb solution. Dumb information means it's the same information your competitor received. Your customer will tell you that your solution is dumb by saying, "Interesting, that's exactly what your competitor told me." Superior questions help you avoid the me-too presentation, the cookie-cutter syndrome. Customers purchase differences, not similarities. Don't be caught sitting in your customer's office giving new meaning to the movie Dumb and Dumber.

Unfortunately few salespeople exploit the tremendous benefits that superior questions have on the selling relationship. The effective use of superior questions moves the selling process forward at a steady but unpressured pace while achieving your call agenda of discovering precisely what your customer's needs are. Your objective is to lead your customer to a higher level of thinking. Your questions should stimulate the customer to go beyond conventional thinking and responses. Remember, the quality of your questions determines the quality of your solution. If you do not identify the customers' dominant buying motives—their hot-buttons—your solution will be no better, and no different than your competitors. Differentiate yourself by asking smart questions and avoid the risk of being perceived as a commodity, a me-too solution. Probe in a manner that communicates sincerity, genuine interest, and empathy. You and your customer are engaged in a dialogue, a fluid, seamless conversation exploring the possibility of a win-win relationship.

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Discovery: Game Day

The starter's pistol has sounded and now is the moment of truth, the opportunity to capitalize on all your preparatory efforts. As you sit face-to-face with your customer, a gold-medal performance is your only option. The sales arena presents no silver or bronze medals, nor does it allow any false starts. On game day, Steps #1 through #4 of your Sequential Model are critical prerequisites to a stellar performance. Chances are your competitor is in the same arena, running the same race, just on a different day.

Your challenge is to move the customer from a cold, indifferent frame of mind to aroused excitement about you and your product or service. Remember that salespeople are often viewed as an intrusion, an interruption to an already busy day. Unless you can change that basic attitude by reducing the initial tension, you are doomed before you start. The initial moments of a sales call are fraught with uncertainty, and tension must be minimized. However, a certain level of tension is healthy and normal as it motivates you to higher levels of performance. Sales entrepreneurs know how to transform nervous pre-call energy into a winning edge, a confident approach. The winning edge is an attitude of a champion. Small differences in attitude and ability can translate into enormous differences in results. A race horse may win by a nose or a PGA golfer by a single stroke, but their winnings may be twice that of second place. Are they twice as good or talented? Of course not. You and your competitor are both invited by the customer to compete. You are both on the short list, but only one will emerge victorious, often winning only by a nose. In sales, it's not your margin of victory that is important but whether you played the game to win, embracing every possible advantage. Remember, your customer is the ultimate judge of your performance. At the awards ceremony, the gold medal is presented in the form of an order.

Needs Analysis

Customer satisfaction begins with a careful diagnosis of needs and expectations. You must sensitize yourself to your customer's issues and focus on what your customer needs to buy, rather than selling what you need to sell. (One more sale and I win the TV!) Through open and honest conversation you will discover the needs and expectations of your potential customer and begin to formulate a solution that differentiates you from your closest competitor. Discovery, then, is asking questions through an exploratory discussion, listening carefully, and aligning your offerings to exceed your customer's expectations.

The key to differentiation is asking intelligent questions, questions your competitors don't ask, or are afraid to pose. Asking intelligent questions is the essence of an effective needs analysis that reveals the specifics about a possible solution. However, asking questions is not an isolated event where you show up to the appointment, introduce yourself, then proceed to inundate your customer with an onslaught of scripted questions. Think of discovery as a dialogue, a conversation between two people, rather than a strategic engagement between a salesperson and a customer. Before a customer will open up and share information that may lead to a sale, you must get acquainted, establish rapport, gain trust, and break through the mental barriers usually associated with first-time sales calls. You must demonstrate a genuine interest in the customer to advance the relationship. Granted, it is not easy to break through initial sales resistance, negative perceptions, and a general attitude of apathy toward salespeople. Meeting a customer for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience for even a seasoned sales professional. Usually, the first few minutes of a sales call are the most stressful for both the salesperson and the customer. The customer's stress comes in the form of uncertainty about the salesperson's intentions and apprehension about seeing "another sales rep." Sales representatives experience stress because they often rely on little more than their good looks and the gift of the gab to carry them through the call. However, thousands of sales entrepreneurs are successful every day, proving that customers are receptive if you demonstrate a genuine interest through an approach that is forged from your knowledge, skills, and confidence.

An effective approach requires a method designed to get the customer's attention and interest quickly, while guiding you through the most sensitive part of the call, the first few minutes. Your greatest ally throughout the call is the after-effect of the positive first impression you made. A favorable first impression usually produces a customer who is willing to participate. Customers put tremendous faith in their perceptions and are quick to prejudge. If you are perceived as professional and effective at the beginning of the call, you will be perceived as effective during the rest of the call. The customer's receptivity to you will be decided within the first minute. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Discovery Modul are:

• The PSIP Method
• Probe Architecture: Peel the Onion
• Feature Fishing
• Effective Bridging
• Inverse Bridging
• Avoid the Penalty Box
• Communication Skills
• Why We Are Poor Listeners

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