In my continuing series on the Sandler Rules, let’s talk about Sandler rule number fourteen, “A prospect who is listening is no prospect at all.”
If the prospect is listening, what aren’t they doing? That’s right, they’re not talking.
In every sales meeting, the prospect should be the one talking and you, as the salesperson, should be the one listening. The Sandler Ratio for salespeople during meetings is 70% listening and 30% talking. By letting them do the talking and making yourself listen, you’ll find out what they really need from you. Take the example of buying a new car.
Why does someone need a new car? There are many reasons why someone would need a car; it’s fair to say that you as a salesperson have no idea until you ask. Salespeople assume they know why someone wants to buy a car, but by listening they can learn the real reason and will be able to provide the prospect a better buying experience. If the salesperson doesn’t know the reason they’re looking for a car, they could start showing the prospect cars that they don’t want and don’t need.
By assuming you know what your prospect wants, you run the risk of putting yourself in a trap. And your solution to their perceived problem might be the very thing that makes them say “no” right away. If you don’t know what they want, and they aren’t explicitly saying it, ask questions. Asking the question “why?” three times clears the ambiguity in a prospect’s mind and creates clarity around the issue.
Another piece of advice I have for you is to learn how to actively listen. Most salespeople practice competitive listening, in which they begin framing a response to a question or comment before it has been clearly communicated by the prospect. Active listening is the art of making the person you’re talking to feel like there is no one else around; it is also the art of listening for emotion in the prospect’s words, and restating what they said for accuracy and intent.
If you feel like you need to interrupt, just write your comment down. That way you can refer back to it later. (It’s okay to take notes! Just make sure you tell the prospect ahead of time that you’ll be doing that.)
If you learn anything through this post, I hope it’s this: You have two ears and one mouth; use them in that proportion. It’s better to listen too much than talk too much. You’ll earn more sales that way.
