As a salesperson working in an online environment and using video conferencing, your role is to win over prospective clients and retain customers. By showcasing your product or service to take your audience on a journey highlighting the features, benefits, problems, and solutions, you can close deals and gain a bigger following.
Here’s the thing though; In both B2B and B2C, it’s normal for a salesperson to feel pressured to “fit” everything into a pitch. With so many moving parts that “have” to be included in a sales call, remote sales presentation, or product demo, it’s easy to do too much talking and not enough listening.
We know that selling involves heightened communication skills, but we all know that for a conversation to work, there has to be talking and listening. As much as talking is important for a salesperson, so too is listening. When it comes to closing a deal, listening can in fact help you sell more.
Consider this; While it might seem counter-intuitive for a salesperson to cut down on the chatter, a salesperson who isn’t listening might hurt their chances of closing the deal. The “talk-to-listen” ratio, on average, is 65-75% talking on a call, leaving the remaining 25-35% of the call for listening.
Here’s what you need to know; The golden ratio for communicating with customers in a way that feels like less of an interrogation and more of a knowledge transmission is 43% talking and 57% listening (a ratio of 43:57). When a salesperson talks too much about the product and how wonderful it is, the customer can feel dehumanized. It’s when the floor is opened up to be a dialogue instead of a monologue, interest perks up and unique human truths and problems are revealed.
Establishing connection and holding attention by ramping up listening and lessening talking helps to win sales. It’s proven! Of course sales techniques, know-how and experience give a salesperson the edge they need to win over prospects, but it’s more about how they employ these techniques within the proven parameters of talking and listening.
So how do you get potential customers in an online meeting talking more so you can do more listening? Check out these 5 tips and tricks to help you steer away from generic questions, mindless chatter, and emotionless propositions:
- Speak Slowly
This might sound obvious, but when you take your time expressing your thoughts and incorporating spaces between ideas for participants to absorb, you can feel confident knowing your information is landing. Especially in a webinar, remote sales presentation, and sales call, thoughtful enunciation and projection help you speak with intention and invites more conversation. - Try The Extra Pause
To help take the spotlight off you and your talking, consider the value of taking an extra moment or two between questions and topics. While engaged in an online meeting or sales call, it’s prudent to observe the importance of this pregnant pause. Notice how the speaker might feel the unconscious need to fill the gap or want to carry on with their stream of thought instead of being caught in silence. This is an effective way to shift conversations and mine for important information from the customer. 
Use Observatory Conversational Prompts
Using tactics like “mirroring” and “reflection” (when you repeat what a customer said for clarity or weave the same terms they’re using it into your own pitch and delivery) helps prospects feel into your pitch. Try calling out an observed emotion after you’ve asked a straightforward question. This helps break the ice and opens up the conversation to dive deeper.
Examples:
“It looks to me that you….”
“I’m sensing you might be…”
“I’m picking up on…”
Being able to pick up on another human’s emotion requires careful listening skills. With video conferencing, you can see a participant’s body language to help you discern the emotion. This is a great time to take that “Extra Pause” and let them chime in with what they’re experiencing.
(alt-tag: Man using smartphone to snap photos of product, pair of black and white shoes, showcased on cardboard boxes before shipping)- Know The Consumer Problem Inside Out
Start by using storytelling as a way to build rapport and eventually sell your product and its features. Adding emotion builds connection and “relatedness” which sparks interest and gets participants on board. By putting an actual, detailed consumer problem into words, you are putting yourself into their shoes. As long as you’ve done the work to wholeheartedly understand their problems, it becomes easy to address them. - Push For Feedback And Interaction
Being in real-time conversation with prospective clients gives you a direct line of communication to receive feedback and additional data. In your sales call, be sure to include a bit of time and space to prompt participants for further information. Try adding in a poll, or short survey, and don’t forget the value of a brief Q&A session. Consider sending out a follow-up email highlighting extra details and key understandings. Any opportunity to open the floor to receive or listen for valuable customer information is critical!
Let FreeConference.com bolster your sales calls and meetings to give you the edge you need to win over and impress clients. With video conferencing and conference calling capabilities that allow you to speak clearly and listen mindfully, you can attract prospects and retain clients effectively. Enjoy a wide range of features and crystal clear, high definition audio and video technology. Experience how excellent communication software strengthens your bond with clients and empowers your speaking and listening skills.
