Your Personal Sales Trainer

You must listen to build rapport.

Most people don’t truly listen; they simply wait on their turn to talk. When this occurs, effective communication is not possible. Failure to listen effectively causes you to miss the things that are important to others.

What does it mean to listen effectively?

It means listening to show respect.
It means listening to understand.
It means listening to gain information.

Listen to show respect
One main reason to listen is to show respect to the prospect. When he knows you are listening, he also understands that you care.

Listen to understand
By becoming an effective listener, you will gain a better understanding of what is important to your prospect.

Listen to gain information
When you listen effectively during the rapport-building stage, you will gain valuable insight that will help you throughout your presentation.

Remember what Winston Churchill and Dale Carnegie said about listening:

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.

Dale Carnegie