3 Key Ways for you to Stop Talking Yourself out of Sales
Many people in a ‘sales’ type role, feel that selling is about talking, presenting and persuading rather than about listening and, asking the right questions. In fact, chances are you may even be one of those entrepreneurs talking yourself out of sales.
Let me explain a bit more …
Right now, you may be thinking,
‘So what if I talk a lot. I have a great product or service to sell , and I know my stuff. Isn’t it important for my prospects to know what I know so they can understand what I can do for them?‘
Maybe or, maybe not — it’s probable you’re doing yourself (and your business) a disservice by talking too much.
Here is what you miss when you talk too much…
You miss the opportunity to build trust or a rapport with a prospect.
And I know you have heard this time and time again, but people will buy from those that they know, like and trust. So, think about it like this — if you are doing all the talking, when is it that you’ll notice your prospect has checked out? Or, that they have given you tons of clues they’re actually, not interested or simply confused and overwhelmed.
The problem when you are talking yourself out of the sale, you are also talking yourself out of potential relationship in many cases.
People want to feel heard, right? We know it but are our actions demonstrating that?
Additionally, if you are the one doing all the talking you will fail to uncover the prospects needs. You see, many believe they have a strong knowledge of what they can do for their prospects, but understandably only a small piece of what the prospect truly needs.
If you are doing all the talking, you can only guess which areas your products and/or services will offer that prospect the greatest value. You miss the chance to put together something special for them (exclusivity is always a win). And, if you don’t know all of their needs, you miss out on building larger solutions which can typically mean, larger sales.
I want to do more than simply say — LISTEN more and that is what this blog is all about!
3 Key Ways to Stop Talking Yourself out of Sales
Approach sales conversations like real, everyday, conversations
Before you engage in a conversation having anything to do with sales, think to yourself; ‘If I needed to get a full picture of the prospect’s world before going forward and building a solution for them, how would I approach it?‘
Whereas many people smell out a possible sale and find themselves thinking — ‘I am now selling a new client or customer,’! This way does not move the conversation along naturally and natural is always best.
And, when you use the first approach mentioned above, it will;
- keep you from talking too much
- help you avoid missing key signals from your prospect
- prevent you from talking yourself out of sale entirely
Become very conscious of your ‘air’ time
If you have gone on for more than 2 minutes (yes, 120 seconds) without a very good reason, simply cut yourself off. Seriously — sometimes we head down a path or a rabbit hole and for whatever reason we just keep on going. It is totally OK to acknowledge you went off topic and would much rather hear from them.
Admitting this or even using a little humor is a great way of reminding them that you’re human and we can all get carried away while, reminding them it’s them you would sooner hear from.
Put it like this, you should be hearing much more of your prospects voice rather than your own.
A great way to keep note of this is by being present during your conversation aka avoid multi tasking.
Additionally, since many people are having these conversations via messenger on social media platforms, you are at more of an advantage in keeping your amount of talking in check.
If you’re leaving them novels or multiple voice notes back-to-back, you’ve probably gone on more than enough — give them a chance.
Seek coaching and/or mentorship
Truth is, all great leaders, entrepreneurs and influencers have received some type of coaching or mentorship in their journey. Now sure, people ‘get in where they fit in’ but, if you are looking to truly learn from those who have gone before you… this, is a great avenue to consider.
Coaches and mentors help you from creating the same mistakes they had once made and, can shorten your learning curve substantially.
Getting around people who are only committed to your growth is key.
Over the years, I’ve invested thousands upon thousands of dollars in coaching (and yes was scary!) However, the return on those investments has been very much worth it. I’d love to see how I can help you avoid the same mistakes I once made!
Bottomline, if you want to stop talking yourself out of sales, spend more time getting to know who your prospects are.
The beauty is that when we spend more time listening … people will tell us everything we need to know.
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