Selling Is Everything. G.F. Tanham

conversations and feedback. In most cases the notes allow me to get the client to go into more detail, generating more information than would have been gained otherwise.

      I use this process to reinforce a point of value and generate more deep thought in areas the buyer had not thought of as an extension of the information shared. The notes tell me a lot about a buyer, for example if they’re able to communicate in a manner that’s simple and effective versus complex and disjointed. This also allows me to communicate and share information back in a “common language” manner. Further investigation into listening styles is outlined in this book when we address communication styles.

      From my notes, I also build analogies or have the client explain them in analogies or previous situations thereby reinforcing positive situations. I can endear myself to the client by understanding what was said and its relative importance to them. Like with your spouse or family members, you will find it is a key validation that they are important and valuable. We all want to be considered interesting or at the least worth listening to.

      Functionally this information will also keep the buyer focused on the goals in the sales processes. Using this information with the buyer creates an opportunity to build a sales action plan that addresses their needs.

      One critical learning experience addressed often in this book is that of listening better. It takes effort and must become a habit. I know we’ve all heard this before, but did we listen? Yes and no. I have read studies about adult communication focusing on the bi-directional content of communication. They conclude that only 7 percent of all verbal communication is heard and understood as intended. This is a manifestation of our lack of communication and listening skills. We have too much ambient noise and distractions to listen well. Clearly we’re not able to listen or communicate clearly for maximum understanding. Is it that our society does not value honest, clear and concise communication? Probably not. It is probably because we are living in a time and land of spin that allows for any number of permutations of the same information. Yet we, who live and die by making a living by listening, must quickly overcome this inadequacy. Have you ever wondered why some salespeople seem so intuitive in what they say and so at ease at what they do? It is most likely because they have mastered the skill of listening and focusing combined with a genuine interest in what’s being communicated.

      The skill of listening is to hear what’s actually being said, not what we want to hear or what we think they should be saying. Is this an epiphany? If so, good. Now start listening, learning and applying what you learn.

      Listening at its deepest level is done with your brain versus your ears because your ears are only the conduits for sound, not an analytical tool. Listening is more than what we suppose and can be understood within a more holistic approach. Listening is really being able to hear noise, understand its meaning and analyze it to make sense of the noise and what the sound is or means.

      Listening is not difficult if you are trained, but with so much ambient noise going on in our communication, it has become a challenge to focus on listening. One reason we don’t hear well is because our minds are trying to filter all the clamor and noise around us. For instance the first time you hear a piece of classical music you may be amazed at the depth and complexity of these new sounds. The mind vaguely tries to understand the music as written appreciating the sounds, cadence, rhythm, which in turn assists us in listening closer.

      Listening is a learned skill that is re-learned throughout our lives. Amazingly, we were great listeners as infants but were trained to stop listening by our upbringing and from the sheer avalanche of noise. Salespeople must learn to listen like children again. Here are some simple ideas and exercises that will help you listen to your buyer more effectively:

      1)Listen with a clear mind and make no judgments.

      2)Be prepared to listen, not to teach or otherwise have a fixed agenda.

      3)Take notes in your meetings.

      4)Ask questions that are relevant and get the client to speak about themselves and the processes they use to gain success.

      5)Listening will indicate how to relate to the buyer in their terms. Hear their voice and inflections which will indicate the process of buying they want to use.

      6)Be positive and willing to smile. A smile makes a huge difference and demonstrates your interest in what’s being said.

      7)If you don’t understand, ask for more information and listen to the answer, they will be stating it more clearly the second time. This will get you closer to the buyer and their value needs.

      8)If you listen and learn actively, the buyer will tell you what’s in it for him and his motivation for buying. You may not think you hear it but it will always be there.

      9)Clear the slate as every conversation is new and unique and not something you can search your mind to find a perfect “been there, done that” similar situation.

      My favorite exercise to work on my listening skills takes little time but works amazingly well. Go to a park or other outdoor spot so you are not close to cars or homes. Walk into this place and get comfortable. Stop and listen. Don’t move, as the full concert of sound is so subtle it takes time to adjust to hearing it. The mind immediately starts to associate distances and sources of the sounds. Once over the initial phase of hearing familiar sounds the mind will start to hear other sounds that in many cases were not even remotely heard at the beginning.

      Humans have control over listening and filter out sound almost unconscientiously. Listen to what you hear and remember that this listening filter is always on unless we consciously work at opening the filters. Listening when selling is being open to the sounds of communication and the physical language associated with it. By doing this, we can effectively communicate and better relate with others.

      “WE ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS RUNNING OUR INTERNAL CALCULATOR TO CALCULATE THE VALUE OF CONTINUING WHAT WE ARE DOING VERSUS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.”

      Now that we know the key to selling is listening, we need to understand how people buy.

      The Decision2Buy is simple on the surface but becomes complex as the movement of needs shifts with satisfaction. In this process, the primary questions we ask when purchasing become the branching where the process moves once questions become answers. An analogy for this is when meeting someone for the first time. In every instance we ask them the Decision2Buy questions: Who are you? In this context the question is “What is your name?” Once we have asked that we evaluate the answer for our value factors, or What’s in it for me? The reason for this is that we are always, always running our internal calculator to calculate the value of continuing what we are doing versus doing something else. These calculations are constant. We are helpless to turn them off completely and only through practice and discipline can the perspective of someone else, a buyer, be initiated so we can understand their personal internal calculator.

      The challenge and beauty of the Decision2Buy process is that there are millions of values from which to choose and they are ever-changing as information is processed by the calculator in our brains. Every situation has different variables. A standard second question to ask when meeting someone is: “What do you do?” Again our calculator is going full speed calculating the value of the answer and what, if any, further value can be generated by continuing the conversation. In this manner not only are we able to validate not only the value to ourselves but also the value to others becomes more clearly defined. When the answers are not a validation of a perceived need, the process either stops or diverts.

      Proceeding down this avenue, typically another question or investigation is asked to dig deeper. For example, one might ask, “How do you do that?” Again, this is a calculator question. The calculator is always trying to figure value. Information gathering and the selling process are common because understanding the calculator is paramount to any forward movement. The knowledge of who, what, and how they do it becomes the baseline for calculating the value to the buyer.

      When meeting someone for this first time, the next value proposition is commonality. Once the knowledge base is in place, the next critical step for validation is “Who do you do that for?,” “Who do you work