Pay Attention!!!

Most sales-oriented professionals spend the majority of their communications time either talking, or thinking about what they are going to say next. There is a reason you were born with two ears and one mouth. While you may have heard that before, and be conscious of it in conversation, listening is much, much more than just not talking.

According to some studies, up to 80% of our face to face communication is derived from non-verbal clues. Most of us assimilate those clues into our conversation without realizing it, but taking conscious notice of them can raise your effectiveness to a whole new level.

How does the other person process information? Most people are visual processors, but some rely more on auditory stimuli and a few on kinesthetic inputs. Listening for verbal clues can help you determine which methods will be most effective.

If someone says “I see your problem.” Make sure you provide them with visual stimuli such as pictures and graphs. If they mention that “Something doesn’t sound right to me.” Make certain to describe things clearly, as if you had no written material to fall back on. Do not assume that they will read your material later. If they say “This feels like something we should do.” Talk about what they will feel like when done, such as “You’ll be so comfortable in this neighborhood.”

Carefully noting a client’s preferred method of processing information, and responding in a way that they are most likely to understand, is a powerful tool for getting your message through when others fail.