Listen, Respond, Ask for More

February 23, 2014|Mary Jane Copps
Tweet
Share
Share

It is vital in any business, whether in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone, that we learn more about our prospects and customers. How can we truly be of value to them, serve them, if we only work with our preconceived notions or assumptions of what they need or want?

In order to learn more, we have to deeply engage in – and inspire –  conversation. Questions have to arise out of the conversation; they cannot be scripted. We must actively listen, then respond to what we hear, then ask for more detail, more information.

How do we do this? A master class in the art of conversation is available to us by listening to journalists’ interviews, whether on radio or television. Certainly some journalists rely on pre-determined questions and lean on a written script (and this is audibly obvious), but the best of the profession listen, respond and ask for more.

Consider an interview done by CBC’s Anna Maria Tremonti of The Current. In addition to the compassionate and attentive tone of her voice, the success of this interview comes from the fact that each question is open-ended and based on what has just been said.

Think about the conversations you need to have and the power of these phrases used by Anna Maria during the interview:

“Tell me about…”

“What have you been told about…”

“What goes through your mind when…”

“How many times have you…”

“How did you react when…”

“Take me back to…”

“Describe what happens when…”

“Can you tell me a bit about…”

“What’s it like when…”

“When you …what was …”

“How was it for you to…”

“What’s the likelihood of…”

“What do you think about…”

“When you hear…what goes through your mind…”

What about you? What questions do you rely on to inspire conversation? What question do you most appreciate being asked about your business? Do share so we can all learn more!

Closing a sale is the natural outcome of inspiring great conversations and listening intently to our potential customers. This natural approach still involves a process – a plan that moves potential customers through a journey of discovery with you. So ... what's your process? And am I the right sales coach for you? Let's find out.

Tweet
Share
Share

0 thoughts on “Listen, Respond, Ask for More”

    • Thanks, Vaughn, for letting me know you found the post useful. I got a lot out of listening to the interview and capturing all of Anna Maria’s questions. I think it is an exercise that would work with any quality journalist interview. mj

      Reply

Leave a comment

When you subscribe to my weekly blog, you'll immediately get my detailed ebook The Why and How of Following-up featuring my best advice plus examples of success you can duplicate.

NEW

Topics

Tags

answering the phone art of conversation asking questions b2b phone communication b2b phone sales b2b sales business processes business relationships client communication cold calling conversation skills customer excellence customer experience customer loyalty customer relationship management customer retention customer service customer support difficult communication difficult conversations email communication entrepreneurs etiquette follow up inspire conversation leaving messages listening skills phone customer service phone etiquette phone fear phone phobia phone sales phone sales techniques phone sales training prospecting sales calls sales process sales skills sales strategy sales success sales training selling by phone small business storyfinding voicemail

What's The Phone Lady doing?

  • One-on-one coaching with 6 amazing entrepreneurs - info about sales coaching here
  • Designing a sales campaign - that includes phone conversations - for a waste management consulting firm
  • Creating client communication module for college students
  • Delivering remote learning on essential business communication skills for job search
  • Remote learning experience on sales and customer service skills for vet equipment company
  • Remote learning experience for financial advisors
  • In-person learning experience with new business owners on creating a sales process
  • Remote learning experience on essential skills to reach and inspire conversations with C-suite executives
  • Team coaching for a firm representing natural products for arthritis in dogs
  • Remote learning experience on sales and customer service skills for a transportation company
  • Remote learning experience on both discovery and sales calls for new startups

Do you or your team want to improve your communication skills? Do you have a communication question or challenge you'd like to discuss? This quick-to-fill-out form is easy to use and you'll hear from Mary Jane very soon.