I’m typing this blog post at a Starbucks. Four minutes ago, I was preparing an agenda for an all-day strategic planning meeting with a client. Not anymore. I can’t hold back. I’ve got to document and write about the conversation going on to my right between two ladies and a man. All three appear to be in their late twenties and seem to be decent people. Probably too decent to be the victims of me writing about them, but I can’t help it. The things I’m hearing must be record-breaking, and every sales professional should get a taste of it.
For the last 25 minutes or so, these three friends have each told multiple stories. Each vignette lasts about 15 – 45 seconds before someone jumps in to share their story. Each tale may or may not be related to the preceding one, but a memory is sparked, and the words come spewing out of their mouths. There is some decorum of not interrupting, but at the very split second that someone stops talking, another jumps in. It’s like a high school debate competition without a topic.
What record have they broken? They must be on story number 60 or 70, and not one question has been asked. Not one. Not “what did you do?”, “how did you feel?”, or “where did they go the next day?” Nothing. I mean nothing. This has got to be a record. Sixty or seventy stories and not one person cares enough to ask one question.
Sadly, it’s not a record. It’s a coffee date at Starbucks and it’s happening at every gym, living room, and happy hour bar in North America right now. Look around and you’ll see it: no one is engaged in what another person is saying. When conversing, people only obsess about what they’re going to say next. Our dialogues have become Facebook posts.
Guess what? This is an enormous opportunity for you, the sales professional. If you simply do this one thing in every conversation, you’ll differentiate yourself from all other salespeople. What’s the idea?
When your customer stops talking, ask them a question about what they just said.
Simple, right? Do it and let me know how simple it is. I was recently leading a role-playing exercise at a client’s site and after asking two consecutive follow-up questions without stating anything, one of the salespeople said: “my brain is hurting right now.” This sounds simple, but it’ll hurt your brain until you’ve done it about 50 times.
This practice does three things:
- You’ll be forced to listen.
- Your customers will appreciate talking and having someone listen.
- You’ll hear and see things that you never did before.
Do it. Make it a habit. Your family and friends will appreciate it, too.
