Selling is telling. If you're a consultant, you probably believe this statement, at least on a subconscious level. How else can you get a potential client to buy your services if you don't tell her what her needs are and how you can meet them? But although telling certainly has its place, listening is actually far more likely to get that prospect to sign on the dotted line.
In fact, during a sales call, you should be doing twice as much listening as talking. Many salespeople and consultants get this percentage backward. But put yourself in the potential client's shoes and think about how presumptuous it seems when an "outsider" blathers on and on about what you need.
If you're a "teller" by nature, shifting into listening mode might be more than a little challenging. But the consultant who truly becomes a long-term business partner to clients must practice the art of listening until it becomes second nature. Following these tips can put you well on the road to becoming an authentic listener:
Actively Prepare to Listen. Do your homework—thoroughly—before the sales call. Know what the organization does, who the key players are, and which issues they are facing. It's impossible to really listen if you're distracted because you're trying to remember key issues that you should already know. Also, take a list of everyone who will be in the meeting with you, so that you can address them with ease. It's easier for you to listen if you do not need to search your memory bank for names.
Focus on Getting the Information You Need. Know what you need before going into the sales meeting. This helps you to "stay tuned" to the discussion. Maintain eye contact and an attentive body posture to encourage others to provide further information. Most importantly, do not interrupt. Allow your potential clients to provide all the information they want. Be sure to take excellent word-for-word notes so that you can put their words in your proposal.
Prepare a Set of Discussion Questions to Facilitate the Sales Meeting. Think through the information you will need to follow up on after the sales meeting. Then create a list of questions to obtain that information. The questions might be general in nature, such as, "In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges you will face over the next two years?" Questions might be specific to the project, such as, "What is the timeline for this effort?" You also need to ask impromptu questions that arise as a result of the discussion.
Utilize active Listening Techniques. Paraphrase what your potential clients are saying, offer a condensed version, and clarify anything that you do not understand. Use smooth transitions as you move from one topic to the next so that you can focus the discussion on your requirements.
Be Aware of How the Session is Going. Listen to the meeting participants' verbal as well as nonverbal messages. What changes do you observe in body language? Has the pace changed? How are meeting participants responding to statements by you or others? If you sense that anyone is feeling uncomfortable or even antagonistic, don't be afraid to address the situation.
Learn to Summarize.
This is one of the best active listening techniques to ensure that you understand what everyone is saying. Use their words. If individuals have differing opinions, use comparison words. Be brief but inclusive.
Let the Client Have the Last Word. This is more than a psychological trick. It's a way of respecting the potential client, by saying, "I'm here to serve you and meet your needs, not to sell you a bill of goods or force you to conform to my ideas."
If the Conversation Veers Away From Business—Listen Anyway. I remember a sales call I made with a client whose office was over a thousand miles from our office. When I arrived, we started out with small talk. Bill told me about his kids, his wife, his headaches, his sailing, his dream to become a college professor, and many other things I would be able to follow up with later. But he didn't tell me about the project we were supposed to discuss. After an hour, he said thanks for coming in and that I would hear from him. I flew back home feeling dejected. I was sure it was a lost opportunity. A couple days later an acquaintance from inside the company called and said, "I don't know what you did to Bill, but he said it was the best darned sales call he'd ever had and that we would be doing lots of work with you!"
What did I do? I listened.
Elaine Biech is president and managing partner of Ebb Associates, Inc., an organizational development firm that helps organizations work through change. She has been in the training and consulting field for more than two decades working with business, government, and nonprofit organizations. She is the author of Marketing Your Consulting Services (Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2003); the book is available at bookstores nationwide and online, and at www.josseybass.com, or by calling (800) 956-7739.