A Sexy Sales and Copywriting Lesson- Actively Listening Versus Looks Like Listening

Listening is sexy. It makes the
person talking important.  Everyone
wants to be important, and sexy.
Listen more in your sales meetings
and copywriting and watch the fireworks.

Listening is sexy.  Period.

Active listening is sexier.  Double period, exclamation point!

This rule applies to your personal life and your business life.  And it is a skill no self-respecting salesman would be without.  However few do it well.  Really well.  Like 'sweep you off your feet' well.

You see, active listening involves really paying attention, then asking the right questions, then really paying attention again.  Over and over.  An ebb and flow.  It is not interrupting.  Sometimes it means being silent.  Not saying anything.  Believe it or not, not saying something is as critical a selling skill as asking the right questions.  And you can only ask the right questions when you are really listening.  Of course, you need to employ your other sales and listening skills to know if the person speaking wants you to ask questions...

Steve Adubato's Sunday Star Ledger Article  "To listen well: 'Fake it until you make it' talks more about how to get back the focused listening skill when you think you've lost it.  However, he writes points every salesman and copywriter needs to ask before and during every conversation and copywriting project:

Proper active listening skills is a
top salesman's and copywriter's
secret weapon.

• Why is this conversation potentially important?
• What might I hear that could be valuable?
• What would it mean to those talking to me if they knew I was drifting off, as opposed to being totally invested in them and what they had to say?
• What would it feel like to be on the other end where someone wasn't listening to me when I was saying something I felt was important?

Make an effort to listen better. Ask good questions, and listen some more. 

Writing your sales and marketing material (e-mails, letters, web site content, brochures, business cards, presentations, powerpoints) in a way that undeniably shows your prospect and customer that you listen carefully rewards the writer and the reader...

Write in way that asks and answers his (or her) questions.  Speak to his concerns.  Demonstrate that you understand by writing in language he understands. 

It's just one more way to be remarkable.  One more way to be the hero.

You can read the Sunday Star Ledger article here: 
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/active_listening_requires_focu.html

Be the Hero,
Mark
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Mark H Daniels is a B2B and B2C Sales Strategist, Copywriter, Coach, Author and Speaker specializing in drawing out your unique selling proposition, refining messages, stories, and presentations, and helping you present your company and product in a way that has prospects and customers thanking you and making decisions in your favor. Start Simply Selling Better Today. Reach Mark at mark@mysaleshero.net or call 732-417-0680