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August 13, 2007
The Power of Silence in Surgical Selling
"If speaking is silver, then listening is gold."
- Turkish proverb
There is so much for you in silence. In fact the key to your success in selling may lie in silence. Let me explain, and share some tips for using the golden tool of silence. You may think the key to selling your product and services is about talking and conveying lots of information to your customers. Actually, talking is not the key to your success at selling. In fact, the opposite is true. The key to your selling success lies in your silence. You see, when you’re talking, you are not selling. Selling actually takes place when your customer is talking and you are actively listening -- in silence. Your role in the sales discussion is to position yourself in the conversation so you can listen as much as possible. So forget about talking when selling. Instead, focus on being the facilitator, or almost silent conductor, and encourage your customers to talk as much as possible. As the facilitator or silent conductor, you structure the conversation with your questions and then once you have asked a question, you hand over the talking to your customer and listen in silence. When you ask a question, visualize the “question mark” as a STOP sign. As soon as you see the stop sign, stop talking and start listening in silence. Truly listen in silence, externally and internally. Listening in silence externally means you say very little, and when you do talk, it is in order to encourage your customer to keep talking. You may ask the occasional question to clarify your understanding or to encourage them to dig further with their answers. Also, by making an occasional remark, and hearing your customer shows you are listening.
By listening in silence internally, means that you are listening
with a quiet mind.
You are not planning what you are going to say next. You are not
making judgments or assumptions. You are just 100% focused on
what they are saying.
When you are listening in silence, both externally and internally, the person you’re talking to will feel this. They will feel that you are genuinely interested in their answers. They will also feel that you are genuinely interested in them. Subsequently, they’ll feel relaxed with you and will become more and more open with you.
Sometimes we feel uncomfortable with silence and want to fill
the silence gap.
Resist that temptation. When you ask a question and there is
silence, just wait. When you give the person you are talking to
the time and silence to think and to answer, you will find they
will start to give you their real, golden answers.
If your potential client feels rushed to answer, they will
become guarded.
They’ll feel you are not sincerely interested and you will start
to receive guarded answers.
From now on, when you ask questions, see the question mark as a stop sign and then listen in silence outwardly and inwardly. See how much silence you can contribute to the conversation and then watch the reaction of the person you’re talking to. Watch to see how much they open up and say to you. Listen to what they say to you and observe how golden it is. Silence is golden when selling. Try it and see.
Sell with Purpose and Passion,
Steve Porcaro
"The Surgical Sales Coach"
Steve Porcaro
is an Executive Sales Coach
dedicated to helping
Medical Device Sales Professionals
reach their full potential.
email:Steve@14AllCoaching.com
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www.14allcoaching.com/Newsletter.htm
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