Being great at sales is not necessarily about mastering a pitch. As much focus as we seem to put on the “sales pitch,” the sale is often in the listening.

It is amazing what people will tell you when you give them an opportunity. In the situations where we can start the conversation with a question – a “How can I help you?” – a “What brings you in today?” – we get the opportunity to study their reasons, the order of their thoughts, and sometimes even their body language. Everything we learn should become a new filter to view the conversation so we can be of service.

The sale is often in the listening. #smallbiz #smallbusiness #smb #business #entrepreneur Share on X

In some cases a potential customer will be very specific about what they need or want in answering our questions. They lay it out and all that is needed is an acknowledgement that you can do that (or that you can’t, but you know someone who can).

Many customers are less clear about what they want. In this case, often the first thoughts your customer shares with you are the things that are top of mind.  People tend to reveal information in an order – either descending importance or ascending importance – but when they do not have time to organize their thoughts you are likely to hear first the things that are weighing on them the most.  By gauging tone or body language, you may start to get a sense of their pressure points. (For a refresher on interpreting body language, read this Tip of the Week from January 2016).

Often the first thoughts your customer shares with you are the things that are top of mind. Share on X

Even in the case of someone who is “just looking around,” a good conversation can still make a lot of headway towards a sale today or in the future. Are they interested in this product/service, or do they have someone else in mind? Let them share about their casual interest.  You certainly have a lot to talk about, because as the business owner you clearly have a common interest!

There are a lot of sales techniques out there. At the end of the day, the art of listening is what makes you customer-focused. It will give the customer a sense that they had a genuine interaction with you – because they did – and you will walk away feeling like you understand why that customer was talking with you in the first place!

For more information about how to pace a sales conversation, read here!