If You Talk Less Will You Win More?

SALES TIP #12

Let’s face it, salespeople talk too much.

In fact, it’s the reason 85% of senior leaders say sales meetings are a waste of their time. Because salespeople talk about themselves. About their product. About the features and benefits of their solution. They stay on script rather than engaging the client in a conversation about their challenges. Rather than yielding airtime to let the client tell their story. Rather than asking questions to understand what’s most important to the client.

Why do salespeople talk too much?

There are many reasons why salespeople talk too much. Consider these:

• Neuroscientists have proven that talking about ourselves triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money. No wonder salespeople often leave a client meeting feel exhilarated.
• You want to impress your client with lots of information and details about your solution. Of course you do. But, while your expertise matters, the client is also evaluating you as a potential partner. Remember, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
• You have a long pitch book to get through, so there’s no time for a conversation that might take the meeting down a rabbit hole. But how do you know you are talking about the right things? That rabbit hole you are worried about may be just the topic that will win you the sale.
• You want to preempt objections, so you attempt to address their questions before they have a chance to ask them. This is common because salespeople see objections as threatening. In reality, objections present opportunities to build trust and rapport because they allow you to clarify important messages and demonstrate your credibility.
• You are uncomfortable with silence. Most people are. However, silence is powerful in a meeting. It is as powerful as the words you speak. Silence gives the client time to collect their thoughts and build upon what was just said. Resist the urge to fill the void. Embrace the silence.
• Your exuberant personality has served you well so far. Why change now? Because selling has changed. Virtual and hybrid meetings have made it more difficult for you to win them over with your personality. Now you need to win them over with how well you are able to engage them. Share your personality in smaller doses so your clients have the airtime to talk about themselves. If you do, you will leave THEM feeling exhilarated at the end of the meeting!

What you miss when you do all of the talking

• The opportunity to develop a relationship
  Clients feel good when they talk about themselves. They like people who listen to them. And they buy from people they like. Inviting your clients to talk builds connection and trust.
• Understanding what’s important to them
  Clients want you to understand their challenges. They want you to know what they are trying to accomplish. Only then will they be open to what you have to say. If you are doing all the talking you won’t pick up on what the client cares about. You are left to guess how your solutions will be of value. You miss the chance to align what’s unique about your offering with what matters most to them.
• The chance to show what it’s like to work with you
  When you listen, show interest in their challenges, and ask questions, you provide the client a glimpse into what it will be like to work with you.

How to talk less and get your clients talking more

1. Be hyper-aware of your airtime.

Limit your talking to 60-90 seconds. If you've gone on for more than two minutes without a very good reason, cut it off and check-in with the client or ask a question.

2. Ask good, timely, open-ended questions.

This meeting is not about what you are selling but about what they are trying to accomplish. Ask questions that help the client think about their situation in a new way. Questions that challenge the way they are doing things currently. Questions that reframe their challenge and create urgency. Questions that help them see the opportunity cost of not taking action. Questions that uncover new insights they hadn’t thought about before.

Examples:

"Tell me about what you are doing in response to X.”
"What expectations do you have of…?”
"How do you go about xyz?”
"Tell me about the most challenging aspect for you when..."
“I'd like to share X with you, but before we start, what else do you want to be sure we cover by the time we're done with this meeting?”
“What will make this meeting successful for you?”

A word of caution. As with most things in life, you want to strike a balance. Talk less and ask more questions but be mindful of not going overboard and asking so many questions that it feels like an interrogation. The best meetings are when there is a natural conversation flow back and forth.

3. Listen more.

In a study of 25,000 sales meetings, the most successful hovered around a 43:57 talk-to-listen ratio. Based on this data, you should do 57% of the listening. This may feel counterintuitive. You think you need to educate your clients by talking, presenting, and persuading. But to quote Brian Tracy, “Selling is not telling.” It’s about helping the client align your product to their challenges.

4. Provide ah-ha moments.

A good sales conversation should have the client talking more than you, but clients are also looking for your insights. Share something with them they did not know before that will make them smarter or help them with their situation. This may be a valuable perspective on the market, a broader view of their alternatives, solutions they never considered, or ways to avoid potential landmines. Just be mindful of how much wisdom you impart and how much airtime you take to share it.

5. Lean into silence.

When you are quiet they will talk. Resist the urge to respond after the client is done speaking. Pause. Let an awkward four seconds go by, longer than what feels natural. The client will very likely add on to what they were saying. They just need a moment to organize their thoughts. That extra information they share is pure gold.

Summary

Look at a sales meeting from the perspective of the senior leader to whom you are selling. The meeting should be a lot more about THEM than it is about you and your product. It should be about the challenge you are solving for them, and what new information or insights you can share to help them achieve their goals.

Learn to get out of your own way and ask questions that get your clients talking and thinking. Make it about them. You will be amazed by the results you achieve.