Typically we speak at 150-200 words per minute but we can listen at up to 600 words. We have excess capacity and sometimes our concentration strays and we stop really listening to others. We might be thinking instead about what we want to say or what point we need to bring up. Have you noticed this about yourself? We miss a lot of valuable information when we are not fully listening to others. We have to hear with our eyes, watching their body language and we have to listen for the tone with which they deliver the words. Sounds reasonable, except today, we are trying to do all of this via a small screen with bad audio. Even worse, the person we are talking to is trapped in a little tiny box dangling in the screen corner.
There are three levels of listening. Which one are you demonstrating, when you are on-line
Distracted
The on-line audio quality isn’t all that great yet, which makes it even harder to hear what is going on. We are also possibly thinking so much about something on our side, we are not really paying close enough attention to the client. We find we may have missed some key details and we may be ignoring the nuance of what we are being told. We cannot concentrate well at home, because the kids are running riot. We could also be thinking about the brilliant thing we are going to say next. The upshot is, in reality, we are just pretending to be listening. On-line is even more deadly too. While the other person is speaking, we may be multi-tasking in the background, like a demon on speed, making the whole conversation clarity even more fraught.
Selective
This is very typical for salespeople most of the time, on-line or otherwise. We are listening for words or phrases that indicate we can advance the sale. We tend to tune everything else out and just listen for what we want to hear. The issue with this is that clients may have subtle concerns which we need to address, but we are not even aware of them, because we missed the hints they were giving us. With everyone at home or having only half the team in the office, client companies internal communications can also be disrupted. We need to pay close attention to find out how they are operating their approval system in this Covid-19 lockdown environment.
Attentive
When we are attentive, we are 100% focused on what the client is saying. We are not cutting their sentences off or finishing their sentences for them. We are allowing them to tell us and we are taking it all in. If we speak while they are speaking on-line, no one can hear anything of what was said. We need to really avoid this. If we have an idea or thought, we can just jot it down in short form and keep listening, knowing that we can bring it up later. At this level, we can become empathetic to what they client wants, because we have fully understood all the nuances around what they want and how they are thinking about business at the moment.
Here are 8 Listening Principles to apply to our daily work with clients.
Maintain eye contact with the camera
Don’t always look at the screen, when they are talking. Instead, wherever possible, look at the camera on your computer. It is a bit weird though, because they appear to us on screen about 10-15 centimeters below the camera. We have to ignore the screen version and look straight at the camera when they speak. What they will see, is us looking straight at them, following carefully what they are saying.
Observe body language for hidden messages
Our body language can tell a lot, because we may be saying one thing but showing something quite different. On screen it is not easy, but we have to observe the client’s body language and also control our own at the same time. Even on small screen versions, you can see changes in client body language, if you pay close enough attention and you should. The remote environment is starving us of feedback, but we have to do our best.
Do not interrupt, finish the client’s sentences or change the subject
Salespeople are desperate at the moment. Sometimes we may want to move the conversation along so that they decide to buy from us. We need the client to feel fully understood though and the best way to do that is shut up and listen to them without breaking in. If you are a chronic interrupter of clients, when speaking face to face, the chances are you will bring this into the remote world as well. Don’t do that.
4 Listen empathetically
This requires supreme concentration. We are not just listening to the words we are listening to the emotions behind the words. We are trying to see it from the client’s point of view. Fathoming the intricacies of the client’s current world through a little box on screen is a nightmare, but we have to try.
Rephrase what you heard
We often make mistakes in daily conversation, misinterpreting what someone said. We usually had something in our mind which was overriding what our ears were hearing and so we make errors in the follow up or the next steps. Some clients are not so articulate and we can become unclear about what they want. The on-line audio quality is not helpful, so it is easy to miss key words or even whole sentences may suddenly drop out. We need to check what we heard. We should make it our habit to summarise and feedback what we understand to be the next steps.
Don’t jump to conclusions or make assumptions.
We hear something, our mind races forward imagining some future circumstance or situation, but it may be totally incorrect. This was not what the client was alluding to and we went off in another direction. We do this because we are not concentrating on what we are being told. Wait until the end of the client’s sentence, clarify any key points and only then, add your contribution to the business conversation.
Remove all distractions and minimize internal and external filters
Turn off all phones and other screens. Try to meet in a quiet on-line environment. If the kids are stuck at home, unable to go to school, this may be impossible for you or for the client or for both sides. If the client gets distracted, we should repeat what they were saying to help them continue where they left off.
Turn off our mind and “be with” the client.
We have to halt the desire to concentrate on what we want to say and focus on what the client is actually saying. We have to be in the zone with them completely. Only in that way will we be able to really understand their needs and how best we can serve them. Easier said than done in this current remote communication situation, bit still a critical goal.
Meeting remotely may be convenient in lockdown, but it is not without its challenges for salespeople trying to generate revenues. The meetings will not be perfect because of the technology, but on our side, we have to bring our A Game listening skills to the fore in the virtual world.
