Warning: This story is fictional. If this bears any similarity to sales people you may know or have seen it is purely coincidental!  

Prospect: Glad you’re hear, I really need help with… 

Interrupting Sales Person: I know what you need, we have this awesome product it would be great for you! It’s the number one product in its class, it wins awards every year, and all your competitors are using it!  

Prospect: Umm… but what does it do for me? 

Sales Person: It’s going to blow your socks off, it’s going to change the way you do business.  

Prospect Blow Off: I just forgot, I have to get running to meet my partner for lunch, or I am officially toast. Call my assistant and reschedule next week and we will talk some more. Gotta run! 

This may be a little exaggerated, but is always a good reminder when in a sales meeting, sales call or talking with your spouse to shut up and listen. If you don’t, you run the risk of never finding out what your prospect actually needs, so that you can have a snow balls chance in hell of selling a BENEFIT to your product or service. If your prospective client sees a strong benefit to doing business with you, they are ten times more likely to close.  The only way any of this happens, sales or spouse related, is by listening first to find out what they truly need. 

Most people, including spouses, don’t want the smoke & mirrors of feature after feature, accolade and awards. They want to converse and be heard, and for you to expertly help solve their problems or improve their life. OK, maybe that’s a stretch with you partner, but it’s sure true in sales.

Now… I’m going to shut up and listen!