How good are you at truly hearing your customer's objections?
As salespeople, switching off our internal noise can be tricky as we face customer objections. We can get defensive, start worrying about our overall performance, or just brush it off and completely miss the gold hidden beneath the objection itself.
At this point, our feelings and our fears reinforce our belief that many objections are personal and therefore feel like a rejection when they are simply a signpost that there is a gap between the value you have offered and how the customer perceives the offer.
After over forty years of working in sales, one of the most common observations I've come across is that the best salespeople have honed their ability to actively listen to their customers. They know that most objections are smokescreens - barriers the customer puts up because as yet they haven’t built enough rapport or enough trust with the customer.
They serve their customers with genuine empathy and a desire to help, allowing them to see the subtle concerns that are the root of an objection well before they arise. They aren't focused on what's in it for them. They are focused on finding the win/win outcomes where everyone walks away from the transaction satisfied.
So, how can we cultivate our skillset in active listening? This lifelong skill requires continual effort - we can always sharpen the axe when it comes to how well we listen to others.
The first part of practising active listening is to be aware of objections and see them as indicators that you are not yet aligned with the customer's ideal outcome. They aren't personal. They are simply an opportunity to create more value. From this viewpoint, we remain open to objections rather than closing off to them.
Secondly, with our heightened level of awareness for our customer's concerns, we can drill down further on the seemingly innocuous comments that might be hiding something more. Don't hesitate to ask these questions because in the process, you are both showing the customer you are genuinely listening to them and finding new ways to create value.
With this in mind, my challenge this week is to ask yourself how well you have been listening to your customers. Be honest with yourself. Are you listening with the intent to understand, or are you listening with the intent to reply based on what you want to tell the customer?
"First seek to understand, then be understood" -
Dr Stephen Covey
If there is room for improvement - and there always should be - start practising your active listening muscle with your next sales call or meeting.
Even better, practise it with your partner or a friend over a coffee next time you're with them. See how the conversation goes. I'm sure you'll cover new territory you didn't even know existed.
Done right, your ability to practice active listening will profoundly impact your work relationships. You will also find that meeting and exceeding your KPIs won't be such a forced effort - it will just be a by-product of how you carry yourself as a salesperson.
Happy selling.
PS - If you're facing a challenge in sales right now you'd like me to address, send it in, and I'll respond to it in my following newsletter.




