Let Your Ears Become Your Eyes

In any sales situation it is important to listen carefully to responses to your presentation and to your questions. When you ask a question, shut up. The first person, who speaks, looses. You have two ears and one mouth; you should listen twice as much as you speak.

Listen for two things. First what they say. When you get a response listen very carefully to words they use and analyze and question them until you are clear what they are saying. Second, listen to how they say it or tone of their voice. Approximately 84% of what we communicate via telephone is through tone of our voice. If they answer a question one way, however tone of their voice indicates something else. Stop and question further to get clarification until moving forward. Say something like...

It sounds like you still have a concern?

This will show them that you are indeed paying attention and will get them to further clarify their position. If you get a very positive response with an I'm with you tone in their voice, you have a buying signal and should move forward with confidence.

By asking right questions and letting yours ears become your eyes you will find your closing ratio on phone will increase and so will your sales.

-Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.

-Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers to contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts. This will make it easy for your customers to voice their opinions. -You could regularly contact customers on birthdays or holidays. Send thank you gifts to lifetime customers. E-mail them online greeting cards on holidays or birthdays. Call them personally to wish them a happy holiday. You could them follow-up with a survey or ask them if they're happy with your business.

-Invite your customers to company meetings, luncheons, workshops or seminars. Create special events for your customers like parties, barbecue's, dances etc. Make a point for yourself and your employees to interact with them at these event to get valuable feedback for your business. You could use a couple or all of techniques listed above to get valuable customer feedback. These aren't only ways, be creative and come up with some of your own.