As sales professionals, the way we prepare for a client engagement greatly determines the outcome of the meeting. How much preparation do you invest for important client engagements?
I recently researched the current landscape of “expert” advice to see what they suggested when preparing for an important client engagement. I was not too surprised to see the cadre of articles, books and blogs written on steps to take in preparation. Most titles boast easy, memorable tips, tricks or points needed to build successful results. Here are a few that I read:
- 7 Ways to Prep for Sales Meetings
- 4 Ways to Prepare and Crush Your Next Sales Meeting
- 10 Tips to Prepare a Successful Sales Meeting
I started this project to prove an assumption leftover from my days working as a sales manager with many sales teams and individuals in my past career. My hunch was this: none of the articles would suggest preparing to LISTEN. In my sales experience over the years this crucial piece of advice always seemed missing so I was not surprised to find it hasn’t changed. That’s not to say these articles didn‘t have good points to share, they did, but none expressed what I’ve come to believe is the most important ingredient for a successful sales meeting…Listening.
Communication has two parts; speaking and listening. The speaking side tends to gain most of our attention in our preparation and is highlighted by what we want our client to know about our company, our product or service and ourselves. There is a misguided belief that if we are the one speaking, we are drive the conversation and credibility through expressing knowledge. Think of a time when you were faced with a sales representative who just kept talking and didn’t pause to listen. How much credibility did they build with you? A well-laid plan that includes disciplined listening will lend credit much more quickly than one designed to deliver as much information as possible in a short amount of time. Furthermore, the only opportunity to learn meaningful information regarding our client’s wants, needs and decision criteria is when we shut up and listen.
Did you know…Listening actually occurs in our brains? We hear sounds with our ears and then make sense of that with our brain. No two brains are alike therefore how we listen varies from person to person or in this case, buyer to buyer. What we focus on while listening also shapes the content of our spoken thoughts. This is important, especially in sales, because by listening to what our client talks about we can learn more than you’d think-such as what they’ll be listening for when we speak. But, since we unconsciously share information the way it makes sense to our brain, there is a good chance our buyer is not picking up what we are putting down; at least not the way we may think they are.
Another reason listening is an essential building block to winning business is that we all listen to information in four different ways. Once we understand these four categories, we can more easily recognize what our buyer is listening for, then align our message with their listening style in mind. This may sound complicated at first but the four categories are simple, distinct and easy to understand:
- Connective listening: listens with the desire to know how the information being presented could be helpful to others.
- Reflective listening: listens with the desire to know how the information being presented would enhance one’s own knowledge or build upon previous experience.
- Analytical listening: listens for facts and figures aimed to gather evidence that could be used to support or refute issues under consideration.
- Conceptual listening: listens to incoming information to generate more ideas, alternatives and options.
By prioritizing listening over speaking we can pick up clues from our buyer that help us recognize which of the four categories of listening tend to dominate their attention. If for instance our buyer listened connectively we’ll want to make sure the information we share with them would facilitate their desire to take care of others. For example, perhaps framing the value of our product or service in terms of how it will ultimately help the buyer’s employees or clients. If on the other hand, they listened reflectively it would be important to show how the information would support their career trajectory or other personal objectives. Conversing with a buyer who listens analytically would need to include hard facts, figures and sound more like we are reading a spreadsheet. Finally, in sharing information to someone listening conceptually we will want to offer open-ended scenarios and options allowing their brainstorming instinct to be satisfied.
When it comes to preparing ourselves for client engagements, Instead of spending all of our prep time devoted to key talking points and value propositions, we should shift half of that prep time to planning on how we will listen and what you will listen for. When we truly listen to our buyer and take the time to identify their individual listening style, you may be quickly surprised by the results. I know it sounds quite simple-maybe too simple to add game-changing results. I would argue, if done right, listening will transform how your engagement unfolds and will build the trust and credibility your client is looking for before giving you their business.