Here’s an example. In a routine sales call with a regular customer, the customer says, “We’re thinking of going to X product. What’s your price?”
Lots of sales people would look up the price and provide it. There. Job done.
The master would hear the words “Thinking of going…” and dig a little deeper. “What makes you interested in that?” he says.
The customer replies: “Well, we’re looking for a solution for a problem with our widget production line, and one of the key operators mentioned it as a possibility.”
“I see. What sort of problem are you having in that production line?”
“An abnormally high reject rate.”
“I may have some other solutions. Can I talk to your production manager?”
I don’t have to take this scenario much further to make the point. A visit with the production supervisor could very well result in a deeper understanding of the problem and the development of an alternative solution with a whole lot more gross margin to it. The
master sales person, exercising excellent listening skills, hears opportunities where many sales people don’t. Listening is the primary tool for digging deeper and uncovering deeper and more significant issues in our customers.
