Are you good at listening? Did you know that a really great listener is as rare as a pink tiger or a super blue Paul Newman’s eyes?

No kidding! We all think we’re such good listeners, but are we really?

Years back I was an underwriter for a British insurance company in Prague. The first official sales training rubbed me the wrong way. One of those YES “special questions “during the sale's closing, to which the only possible answer is yes – until “the brain of the client is used to agreeing so much” that when you drop that killer closing question they automatically say yes, too. Because – you know, the word NO would feel weird at that point.

I knew that’s not going to work for me. I also hated cold calls (prospects) we were required to make. Calling random people, asking them if they want insurance wasn't my thing. So I hired a kind elderly lady who didn’t mind being hung up on, to call my prospects, and I threw...

“The moment we think we have all the answers, we forget all the questions.”

The best strategy, when dealing with people, is ALWAYS to listen more and talk less. Nowhere is it more true than in sales. Easier said than done. We're all guilty here. Here's just few most common reasons:

1) If your mind is fully focused on your intention - to make a sale, getting anxious the longer it takes, you can't possibly hear your client or notice clues in their body language that would help you relate to their needs and communicate clearer.

2) You're obsessed with your own issues, problems, and honestly YOURSELVES in general to give anybody else the attention they deserve. After all, what’s more important than your own life, success, and your family? When your ego is in charge, it’s impossible to relate to other people.

3) You’re short on time. When someone takes a minute to express themselves, you have already moved on to something more interesting,...

I have seen that 'I-am-lost' look before. 

I noticed them as soon as they entered this mega wine store. A nice couple, in their sixties, somewhat intimidated. The store was my biggest account then, easily over 10 thousand sq ft. It displayed thousands of wines, liquors, beers. I know what it feels like when you just want a bottle or two for a dinner, don't know much about wines, and walk into a huge store like this. The last thing you want is a sales clerk all over you because honestly, you're not even sure what you're looking for. 

Where do you even start? Let's get something we can actually pronounce. Do you like this label? Do you search by grape variety or by origin? You see, I'm a wine person so I know my preferences.  This couple looked more than confused and I felt for them. 

If I wasn't pinned behind a little station, doing a wine tasting, I would jump in and help. I knew how to put people at ease and find out what they like - so I can recommend something...