As I'm sitting here having a cup of coffee and enjoying some beautiful July Maine weather, I'm reminded of something that I have noticed SO much lately when talking with salespeople. Having a conversation can be a challenge with people, especially salespeople. As a salesperson I have to be a master of professional communication, really ensuring what I say is valuable and delivered in a positive way.

In today's 140 character world people tune out quick.

I often remind myself that as human beings we like to hear the sound of our own voice, and we get very bored with listening to others talk at us... QUICKLY! As a salesperson I can get a little wordy sometimes and I like to talk, we all do. However, I always get my chance to talk navigating through the sales process. For instance, when I do my demo I get to talk while I'm relating features and benefits showing my customer that I was truly listening!

You and I as professional salespeople have to be excellent at the skill of listening, professional communication, and waiting for our turn to talk. Customers want a salesperson to actually listen to them, and personally as a buyer I've always been impressed with a salesperson who takes a few notes, or repeats back to me my HOT BUTTONS!

But most importantly I try to remember that when I'm having a conversation with someone who constantly interrupts me or tries to finish my sentences because they're so anxious to talk again, I walk away not feeling very valued. I do this to my wife sometimes and it drives her crazy, Oops!

Pro Tip: Work really hard to wait a second before taking your turn, sometimes the other person is just collecting a thought and you'll end up interrupting them.

I figure if I feel this way most of my customers do as well. Learning to make communication comfortable, professional, and not feel forced for people will go a long way towards sales success.  I believe when you genuinely care about your customers needs, you want to listen to them.

My suggestion is to slow down and remember good communication skills. Offer that to your customers and it will result in a memorable experience with you. Another benefit is that you will enjoy the sales process so much more when you find yourself listening to needs and coming from a place of service.

Working with you will feel like a breath of fresh air, because your competition is WEAK on communication!

Commit to being a better listener and professional communicator more consistently, you'll be headed straight towards more sales, and happier more satisfied customers!

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