5 Top Tips to listen actively and empathise in sales

In the world of sales, authentic connections with customers are paramount for success. Jeffrey Gitomer, a renowned sales expert, has long emphasised the importance of active listening and empathy in establishing trust and fostering lasting relationships.

• Clear your mind and focus:
  To be fully present during a conversation with a customer, it’s essential to clear your mind of any distractions. Silence your phone, minimise background noise, and give your undivided attention to the person speaking. By focusing entirely on the conversation, you demonstrate respect and show that you genuinely care about understanding their needs.

• Ask open-ended questions:
  Asking open-ended questions encourages customers to share more information, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of their concerns and requirements. These types of questions require more than just a simple “yes” or “no” response, helping you to engage in a more meaningful conversation and gather valuable insights.
• Reflect and validate emotions:
  When listening actively, make an effort to reflect and validate the emotions expressed by your customers. You can do this by paraphrasing their statements and acknowledging their feelings. For example, you might say, “It sounds like you’re frustrated with the current solution you’re using.” This shows that you’ve been listening closely and understand their emotional state.

• Cultivate empathy through perspective-taking:
  Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and try to see the situation from their perspective. This will help you better understand their needs and concerns, allowing you to offer tailored solutions. By empathising with your customers, you show that you genuinely care about their well-being, which in turn builds trust and strengthens your relationship.
• Provide thoughtful responses and solutions:
  Once you’ve actively listened to and empathised with your customer, it’s crucial to offer thoughtful, personalised responses and solutions. Rather than jumping in with a generic sales pitch, take the time to address their specific concerns and explain how your product or service can alleviate their pain points. This not only demonstrates that you’ve been listening but also shows that you’re genuinely invested in helping them find the best possible solution.

Incorporating these five tips inspired by Jeffrey Gitomer’s teachings into your sales approach will help you master the art of active listening and empathy, ultimately transforming you into a more authentic salesperson. By focusing on truly understanding your customers and addressing their needs with tailored solutions, you’ll build trust, foster long-lasting relationships, and pave the way for a more successful and sustainable business. Remember, the key to authentic selling is not just hearing, but truly understanding and empathising with your customers.

Who is ActionCOACH’s Business Coach Mark Dilks?

Mark Dilks is an accomplished business leader, experienced coach, mentor and business builder. He supports business owners, executives and teams across Milton Keynes, Bedford, Northampton, Luton & Dunstable in all aspects of building profitable high growth businesses; from start-up phase all the way through to maturity and divestment. No matter what challenges you are facing, Mark will invariably have encountered a similar situation previously and will be able to support you to quickly and efficiently overcome your business hurdles by sharing examples of how other business have solved similar problems that you are experiencing. He is motivated, driven, tenacious and is able to get the very best out of all the resources available to his clients and to ensure that the maximum results possible are achieved.