According to one of the most experienced and successful salespeople attending a recent MLP Sales Training Programme, it’s simple: “Just shut up and sell!”
It may seem like a flippant comment but for would-be sales people starting out on their careers, or those that would like to sell more, it’s the best sales advice you’ll ever hear.
Why?
Because you will listen your way into more sales than you will ever talk your way into.
It’s an approach to selling that goes against the stereotypes of the chatty salesperson who could talk the hind legs off a donkey. But those stereotypes are based on common selling practice…not insightful best practice.
In my experience, great sales people don’t talk very much at all, but they make what they say matter. They ask great questions. Then they listen. And they really listen, without interrupting or finishing people’s sentences for them. They shut up and sell, using their great listening skills to keep the prospect talking.
That listening approach to selling not only helps the prospect to relax, it’s also great for rapport building and it helps the sales person clearly identify the best way to help the prospect to become a satisfied customer.
Why does it work? Because people like to buy but they don’t want to feel like they’ve been ‘sold to’. You’ll never meet anyone that says ‘let me show you what a salesperson sold me yesterday’; but you’ll often hear ‘let me show you what I bought yesterday’.
Great sales people understand that people buy for their own reasons. As a sales professional, your job is to get them to tell you what they want and why they want to buy it.
You can only do that by asking great questions, listening to the answers, clarifying those answers, then confirming your understanding. Of course you’ll need to speak, but your words will be targeted and meaningful, not only for you as a salesperson but for your prospect as an individual.
Without squandering words on a sales pitch that wastes time pushing the wrong solution, you can skip straight past any resistance and go straight to reasons to buy.
So, next time your meeting with a prospect and you feel the need to launch into your tried and tested pitch.
Stop.... Remember the ‘Shut up and Sell’ advice and just start listening.
There are a number of sales programmes taking place throughout the year, for more information Click HERE
