In sales, unfortunately, we are frequently encountering inexperienced or insufficiently trained sales staff behaving in such a way that they are primarily in a good emotional state themselves, feeling strong and secure. As one of the consequences, they tend to talk (too) much and listen too little.

At the center of attention

Regrettably, these behaviors do not necessarily make the customer feel comfortable. Salespersons who (unsolicited) talk a lot – and, moreover, only about themselves, their products and services – tend to create a subliminal feeling of inferiority, powerlessness, and thus negative emotions and resistance for most customers. Instead, the key is getting customers into a positive emotional mood. We achieve this primarily by placing the customer at the center of our attention, not only in theory, but also in practice. The most effective way to get others interested in you (and your products and services) is to show interest in others. So, above all, ask customer-centric questions. Listen attentively and authentically so that the other person realizes that you are really listening. And above all: listen with the intention of understanding what your customer actually needs and not just to be able to respond as well as possible.

Creating real customer contact

Create real, authentic contact by establishing a real dialogue. And in contrast to the principle of active listening, take it one step further to what I would call “Listening 2.0”: do not only ask questions and summarize what you have heard, but also express assumptions and beliefs that you recognize in the client’s statements. This also includes introducing your own ideas or impulses, which can help your conversation partner to view the topic in a new light. Good listeners never take control of the conversation in such a way that they themselves or their own interests become the content.