There is one skill that if you master will help you to become a sales genie like the Top Producers you look up to. That skill is listening. The funny thing is most salespeople think they’re great listeners when they’re really great talkers.

You know that the prospect should be doing 80% of the talking. Yet, if you were to actually track how much of the time you spend talking you’d be shocked to learn the reality. But most of you would never actually take the time to measure how much time you spend talking or faking listening.

So put your understanding to the test instead. At the end of a sales conversation you should have a complete understanding of what the prospect wants, and the prospect should agree that you do. The prospect should openly relate to you that they’ve shared things with you that they’ve never shared with anyone else. If you aren’t passing the test there are a few simple things you can do to improve your listening skills.

Keep your eyes on the prospect. I don’t mean stare at them, that would be creepy, but I do mean keep your eyes only on the prospect. That means even if other people are walking by or a loud noise occurs you keep your eyes on the prospect. This simple act will deepen your understanding of what the prospect is communicating to you because communication is more than just what is said, it’s how it’s said and the body language that’s going on.

When you allow your eyes to look at other people or things while you’re talking to a prospect you’re being disrespectful. You’re communicating to the prospect that something other than them is important to you. Plus allowing distractions to take your focus off the client means you’re missing important communications from the prospect.

Quite your mind and your body. Allow your mind to slow down and focus on the prospect. Don’t be thinking about what you’re going to say or do next. Keep your body in a relaxed position so you’re comfortable, and you don’t distract the prospects thoughts. When you’re shifting around a lot and using big gestures the prospect starts to focus on what you’ll do next rather than what they want to say next.

Listening is a matter of understanding. Top Producers, the sales genies, understand their prospects. Because they understand the prospect they’re able to gain their trust and confidence, build relationships, and help more prospects choose their solutions.