Listen First, Speak Second
It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.
I see this all the time in business. Because sales meetings can be nerve racking, most salespeople will jump straight into talking about their product or service because it makes them feel comfortable. Problem is, you’ve assumed what the other person wants hear and you’re probably way off the mark.
It’s a bit like the telephone sales rep that calls you with a long sales pitch and THEN asks you about your personal needs. You lost me at hello.
I know this advice sounds so obvious but you would be surprised at how many people make this mistake, particularly in athlete management.
If I meet with a client who wants representation, I can assume they want me to get them endorsements. Alternatively I can simply ask them want they want from me. Sometimes the answer back is not so obvious. I then tailor my discussion to their feedback. Suddenly I’m different to every other manager they have met with.
The only way to get someone to understand you is to understand them first.It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.
It’s amazing how many sales people rush into their sales pitch expecting to deliver what they think the other person wants to hear. When in reality, simply sitting back and listening first gives you the ultimate upper hand.
I see this all the time in business.
Because sales meetings can be nerve racking, most salespeople will jump straight into talking about their product or service because it makes them feel comfortable. Problem is, they’ve assumed what the other person wants hear and they’re probably way off the mark.
It’s a bit like the telephone sales rep that calls you with a long sales pitch and THEN asks you about your personal needs. They lost you at hello, right?
I know this advice sounds so obvious but you would be surprised at how many people make this mistake, particularly in athlete management.
If I meet with a client who wants representation, I can assume they want me to get them endorsements. Alternatively I can simply ask them want they want from me. Sometimes the answer back is not so obvious. I then tailor my discussion to their feedback. Suddenly I’m different to every other manager they have met with.
The only way to get someone to understand you is to understand them first.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 11:33 am and is filed under Communication, Personal Development, Strategy.
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