BY Rachel Cagle
Financial concerns are at the forefront of everyone’s minds during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may think that slashing prices is the best way to land sales right now. But in actuality, you only need to fine-tune an existing expert sales technique, says William Tyree, writing for SellingPower. That expert sales technique is simply listening to the prospective client.
An Expert Sales Techniques to Use During a Pandemic
Tyree writes that, “The 2020 Sales Prospecting Performance Report indicates that sales reps who talk a lot aren’t just annoying — they are also less successful.” Remember that the success of your sale is ultimately determined by how your product or service can benefit the prospect. It's not about how much money you can make or showing off just how much of an expert you are. And if that's how you come across to your prospective customers, you aren't going to land that sale. That's why listening is one of the expert sales techniques that will help you make the most of your talking time. That is, after you’ve learned more about the prospect and their needs, of course.
The Art of Listening
Obviously, you can't be listening to a prospect if you are talking during the entire sales meeting. So, how often should you actually be talking during your sales meetings with prospects? “The average maximum talk streak of about 67 seconds for top-performing SDRs (sales development reps) within the context of a relatively concise conversation,” says Tyree. “It takes only a few minutes to confirm interest and establish a demo on a call.” Sales meetings are all about using the best sales technique to identify the prospect's pain points. Asking the prospect the right questions and then listening to the prospect in full before formulating your next response will help you learn what you need to do in order to earn their trust and, therefore, a sale. Listening is truly the best sales technique.
The Ideal Length of Sales Calls
When it comes to phone calls, your prospecting calls should take no longer than 14 minutes. During these sales calls, your goals are to have the prospect agree to set up another meeting with you, collect all the required information you need to formulate an effective sales pitch, and set up a date and time for the next meeting. Tyree says that research has shown that, once a demo goes over the 14-minute mark, the likelihood of continuing the sales process goes down. So, you need to keep that initial call short and sweet if you want there to be another, more lucrative call.
In short: Let your prospective customers do most of the talking. “Reps don’t need to control the conversation — or, at least, not through conversational dominance defined by long pitches,” says Tyree. By listening instead of talking, you are learning the best way to approach your prospect about a product or service that can help them fulfill their current need. That’s why listening is one of the most expert sales techniques and best pandemic sales technique you can use this year.