Talking but not listen..!
IT was at my cousin’s office in the business district of Mumbai that I met him. He was, according to my cousin, a star salesman, “Hear him Bob,” said my cousin, “He has the gift of the gab!” Which meant he could talk fast and easily because words came to his mind and out of his mouth faster than a speeding race car. And like a race car, he looked good, and his manner was charming. But my cousin fired him in a month. “I don’t know what was wrong,” he said, “He had the gift of the gab, yet he failed.”
I worked as a salesman during that time, for my dad, and as I studied sales, I could have told my cousin, that being a great talker didn’t make you a great salesman, but being an intent listener did. What happens with people who talk too much is that they listen too little. And it’s not just words that you need to listen to, it’s also his or her body language. His or her eyes, they’re all saying something all the time. A shift from one leg to another means they are getting restless, and you need to stop. You need to ask questions.
Most people who have the gift of talking smoothly, are considered smooth talkers and treated with suspicion. I once had a manager working for me, who used to tell me, he could confuse the customer into signing on the dotted line. I wondered what he meant, till, I realized, he managed to get the sale, but after that was the most troublesome customer, because he had not understood anything about the product, while my salesman was busy ‘confusing’ him. The sale though struck, finally became a tedious affair later. So, if you hear people telling you that you are too shy, or too timid, why, you’re just the person who has the ability to convince others.
People look for honesty. They look for integrity. They don’t look for fast talkers who block them from their own thoughts. And the man with the gift of the gab says, “I can talk so well, but I just cannot sell!” When Rupert was shown in to see his customer, Mr Jones was staring out the window disconsolately. A salesman saw his customer, Mr Jones staring out the window disconsolately.
“What seems to be the trouble?” he asked. “I promised my wife a Pomeranian and the cheapest one I can get is $200. It’s too much.” “You’re right. I can sell you one for $125.” “Great! When can you deliver it?” “I’ll let you know.” Once outside he rushed to a public telephone and rang his sales manager. “Listen. I’ve just sold old Jonesy a Pomeranian for $125. What the hell is a Pomeranian?” That’s what happens to salesmen who confuse and don’t listen, they sell nothing. Remember you don’t need to be salesman to sell, you are selling something all the time. Listen, understand, and sell. Do it right..!
