Great sellers are great listeners.
Peter Lamb says they also “ask great questions and shut up!”
A Florida-based strategy consultant, Lamb says a successful sales rep thinks like the customer and climbs this LADDER when working with clients to solve problems and capture opportunities:
L is for LOOK your client in the eye when talking to build trust. Not making eye contact is a turnoff.
A is for ASKING questions, great ones that spur thinking not yawns.
D is for DON’T INTERRUPT the client when he or she is responding to your great questions. “As long as you are talking, you are losing.” Listening is winning.
D is for DON’T CHANGE THE SUBJECT when the client is talking, even if it’s a glowing report about a sports team you detest. Let them talk. It’s their time.
E is for EMPATHIZE, especially during these challenging COVID-19 times. Be a comforting ear.
R is for RESPOND, often on the spot when you seek to close a deal.
Don’t leave the client meeting without a sale or answer on next steps. If necessary, take out your smartphone and book the follow-up meeting right away.
- RELATED: Climb Peter Lamb’s LADDER to ‘win the revenue war’
- RELATED: See more from the Wisconsin Relevance Project
Note: Lamb positioned his LADDER as a featured presenter at the New York Press Association’s daylong virtual conference on Sept. 18, 2020. His topic: “Who is winning the revenue war and why.”
