You want to be a better listener in your industry. How can you develop this skill?

Don’t settle for their first answer, ask second and third level questions on the same subject in order to get to the real issues and their real thoughts

To enhance your listening skills in your industry, start by prioritizing focus during conversations. Eliminate distractions and maintain eye contact to demonstrate attentiveness. Practice active listening by paraphrasing and summarizing what others say to ensure understanding. Develop empathy, putting yourself in their shoes to comprehend perspectives fully. Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to encourage deeper discussions. Attend industry events, workshops, and webinars to expose yourself to diverse viewpoints. Seek feedback on your listening skills and implement constructive suggestions. Regularly reflect on your interactions, identifying areas for improvement.

Questions are the answer. In sales conversations, you must ask questions. The most effective questions are called open-ended, meaning the listener (or reader) can respond in any number of ways. Open-ended questions start with who, what, where, when, how, and why. Open-ended questions make people think and start conversations. They invite people into a dialogue. As a result, you obtain more information about your prospects. Open-ended questions are especially useful in identifying the gap. A gap is the difference between where prospects are today and where they want to be tomorrow. Without a gap, there's no reason to take action. Warning: Add interest comments between questions to keep it conversational.

Be curious! Start with What and How questions...or start questions with "Tell me about..." or "I'm curious to know..." And don't stop there! Continue to ask more questions...it's like peeling back the layers of an onion.

Objections can be answered with questions such as “an interesting perspective can you share with me what prompted you to asked me that question?“ Or “that’s an interesting thought, but that means different things to different people. Can you help me understand what it means to you “ Closing with with questions: “ can you see any reason why you wouldn’t want to move forward at this point?“

When asked a question, don’t answer. Ask a question of the question. The questions tell everything. Follow their clues. Use energy. There is energy in a room, and it’s flying all over the place unless you can corral it. Condensing and confining energy is often the most reassuring way to tell someone you’ve got them. Master energy. Figure out who brings it, who steals it, who seeks it to increase. The best engagements seem to supercharge energy.

The most important factors in establishing a relationship where a sale can be made is establishing trust. And establishing likability. Listening very carefully not just to the words but the feelings and emotions of the prospective client helps create that. Being very interested as to what causes the person’s opinions or perceptions and asking open ended questions to understand them better should accomplish trust and the person liking you. Of course, this should always be genuine and not artificial as honesty is the only firm foundation for trust.

To improve listening skills, asking open-ended questions is crucial. These questions, starting with what, how, or why, encourage prospects to share detailed information and feelings. This not only helps uncover their needs and motivations, providing valuable insights, but also shows my genuine curiosity and empathy. This approach ensures I fully understand their perspective without influencing their responses.

One step further, add something on top of what you've summarised from their answer to show listening and critical thinking. Throw out an assumption statement and see if they correct or don't correct you. It can start off with "So is it safe to assume that..."

To be a better listener is to hear what people are already saying where they're already saying it. Investing time in social media listening is a big area of opportunity for anyone in sales or lead generation. Social media is where many of your customers are already. These public spaces are for your customers to air their successes, opportunities, and most importantly, grievances. If you're positioned in a solution-based niche, this is where you can find angles to approach your leads.