“If you’re not listening to yourself, you cannot effectively listen to others.” – Meshell Baker in today’s Tip 1835
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from Meshell Baker, our favorite sales confidence igniter and authentic selling crusader. Here she is:
Meshell Baker: Hey, let me ask you a question. Are you listening to yourself? No. Really? I want you to think about the last sales calls or meeting you had. Did you focus on what you were saying or were you already planning your next line, your next comment? You see, if you’re not listening to yourself, you cannot effectively listen to others. And that means you’re missing out on one of the biggest tools for success in sales self awareness. Today, I’m going to dive into a game changer in sales listening to yourself. Because the truth is, the words you use, the tone you take, even the pauses in your speech can make all the difference between closing a deal or leaving empty handed. So let’s go.
Three takeaways and one immediately implementable technique. Number one, sales awareness builds trust. You see, when you’re aware of your own words and tone, your message becomes genuine. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that authenticity and communication builds trust, something every customer values highly. When you sound confident and align with your message, your clients will feel they’re in capable hands. Number two, act of self listening sharpens your message. When you listen to yourself as you speak, you catch filler words or unclear statements. Studies from McKinsey show that clear and concise communication increases decision making speed by up to 25%.
So by practicing self listening, you’re actually streamlining your client’s experience with you. And number three, adaptability stems from self listening. Sales isn’t one size fits all. According to the research by Salesforce, over 75% of customers expect you to understand their unique needs. When you actively listen to yourself, you can adapt mid conversation to meet the client where they are, making your pitch feel more like a tailored conversation rather than a scripted routine. And some additional facts to support all of this. In a study published in the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, they found that self reflective practices improve a salesperson’s ability to connect with clients by nearly 40%. This connection can be the difference between a closed deal and a missed opportunity, emphasizing the impact of self awareness in building rapport.
So here’s a quick exercise. You can start practicing today before your next call or meeting. Take a few minutes to record yourself rehearsing, listen back and note any areas where you sound unsure or you overuse filler words. Or you could be clearer. Then on the actual sales call, stay aware of those tendencies and keep improving and tweaking as you go. This small habit will lead to major gains in clarity and connection and closes over time. Remember, listening to yourself is just as crucial as listening to your clients. So in your next sales call, be present, stay aware, and tune into your own voice.
Because when you’re in sync with yourself, your clients will be in sync with you too. In the words of a quote by Cindy Gallop, who is an advertising executive and entrepreneur known for her bold approach to innovation and communication, the most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you have with yourself. Have a great day selling!
Scott Ingram: For links to connect with Meshell, just click over to DailySales.Tips/1835. Once you’ve clicked over there, be sure to click back here for another great sales tip. Thanks for listening!