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Effective Communication Skills

In physics, opposites attract. In service sales, opposites repel. In business, customers buy from people who are...

For service sales professionals, this becomes an opportunity to talk less and listen more�to find out as much about the customer�s needs as possible. That puts particular emphasis on the skills of Listening and Asking.What is active listening?Active listening is going beyond being an even better listener. Customers believe that good listeners understand their needs; customers buy from good listeners.Listen carefully�Focus on the customer�s key point or points.Let the customer know you are paying attention�Use body �cues� such as appropriate eye contact, aligned posture and an alert attitude.Listen more than you talk�Give the customer a chance to tell his or her story.Asking questions moves you towards your goal: incremental decisions leading to the purchase commitment.Types of questions:

Open-ended questions ask for as much information as possible, require you to "filter" what you need; often begin with "what," "why," "how." Or "please explain." Used to gather basic information�short question for a long answer.
Closed-ended questions are answered with fewer words, often �yes� or �no.� Used to demonstrate your understanding, draw out quiet or shy customers.
Clarifying questions can be open-ended, but more often are closed-ended. Used to probe for clearer understanding, gauge customer reactions to your presentation, or to prepare customer for confirming decision.
Objective-driven questions, usually open-ended, help focus the discussion and direct talkative customers towards agreement. The question often contains the words you would like the customer to use in his or her answer.