Shut up! Let your customer speak and win more sales.

Why shutting your mouth is a sales skill?

Sorry about the bluntness. Seriously, if you want to win more sales, you need to keep your mouth shut. Let your customers speak and express themselves. Stop interrupting.

Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” In a sales conversation, this will have an enormous impact on your ability to engage with your customers and win sales.

In my business, I met a lot of people from different industries. These people are at different stages of their businesses and have something in common. They are very good at their crafts.

Unfortunately, do you know what is also a common challenge for them? They are not sure how to sell their crafts and deliver value to their customers. They are frustrated because of the lack of sales skill that has a negative impact on their sales. It is also the reason why so many people hate selling. So much so that they become sheepish about it. They tell me that they suck at selling because they do not know what to say.

Ironically, increasing customer engagement and winning more sales does not mean that you have to know what to say. Instead, you need to learn when to shut up and ask the right questions at the right time so that you improve your chance to win sales. That is the art and science of selling.

Please note, everyone sells differently. However, to be great at selling requires practice and willingness to learn. Some are able to work this out themselves. For those who are new to selling, they do need some guidance. If you are one of these people, you are welcome to read on.

I write this article to first challenge your preconceived belief about what selling is. Then I provide some guidance to those who do not know where to start.