My definition of volunteer information is what a prospect says after they have made the initial response to your question. What they say after the initial "off the cuff" response is more valuable than the "off the cuff" response itself. This is especially true when their response is simply "yes" or "no."
People have a tendency to explain themselves further because they want to stay connected. My wife, Joan, does this constantly. She will transfer information to others to justify why she is doing what she is doing. The other day, we were boarding an airplane, and she asked the flight attendant for two pillows and a blanket. She proceeded to explain why she needed two pillows, not just one, and the certain way she was going to prop them. She later ordered tomato juice and explained to the flight attendant why she loves tomato juice but only drinks it when we fly. She volunteered far more information to this unsuspecting flight attendant than she needed; certainly, more than simply asking for the two pillows and some tomato juice.
I question whether the flight attendant needed or wanted the story behind the pillows and tomato juice, but a salesperson can use that type of information to create a win-win for the client and themselves. Most of us volunteer information regularly without even knowing it. A good example is the person at the checkout stand who tells the checker that they are buying pickled herring because Great Aunt Gertrude is coming next week for a visit, and she hasn't been here in ten years.
If a prospect tells you that they made a decision to go another way, your response is a pause and a short "Oh" or "I see". Then they go on for five minutes trying to soften the fact that they are not purchasing through you. Let me relay a conversation that one of our salespeople had with a prospect recently.
Prospect: We made a decision to go another way.
Sales Rep: (pause) Oh?
Prospect: Well, not completely another way. Orders have come down from above to hold off and analyze a little further before we finalize training budgets for next year.
Sales Rep: I see. (pause)
Prospect: When we are released by the upper management in thirty days, you have a good opportunity to be part of next year's budget. Between you and me, you have a high probability of being a preferred trainer, but you will need to wait this out before we can discuss details.
As salespeople, if we wait, we will often get volunteer information. In this case, we learned that what seemed like a no was really just a delay. We went from "a decision to go another direction" to "preferred trainer" status in a few minutes. All the salesperson did was keep the dialogue going by not talking much. The prospect did the rest because they wanted to share more. Too many salespeople like to listen.. to themselves. That disease doesn't give you volunteered information.
There are times when the pause and muted responses like "oh", "I see", "interesting", "how so", and "really" don't spur information. When that occurs, you will need to read between the lines.
Ask yourself these questions:
Was my presentation off?
Did I miss a need they expressed?
Is the timing off?
You will have to evaluate quickly because you want to be able to understand the next step without losing the sales conversation. To get between the lines if they are blurry, ask these questions:
Bob, what did I miss?
How do you feel about that?
Is there anything that can be done to reverse your decision?
Where do we go from here?
Some of the skill of reading between the lines is developed over time. It's almost a sixth sense that is acquired through selling a specific product or service over a period of time. There is no substitute for that sixth sense in sales. If you increase your prospecting numbers, you will acquire it faster.
You can pick up non-verbal buying signals, rejection signals, and boredom signals over the phone. You have to be tuned into your listening skills at all times to pick up on these because they aren't blatantly obvious.
Most of them are contained in the background noise. The pause is the best time to hear the background noise. The hardest time to pick them up is when you are talking, which is another reason not to talk as much. You might pick up the background noise of another person in the room talking with them or their hand cupping the phone or the squeak of their chair as they reach for something or lean back in a relaxed position.
As you are sharing numbers in your proposal such as the value of your service or how it will benefit them or save them money, you might hear them on their 10-key calculating numbers, so they will have their own version. This would be a buying signal. The non-verbal signals can give you an indication as to how you are doing and where you are in the sales process.
Listening is the glue in any prospect or client relationship. The only way to know and serve the prospect or client better is through listening. There is an interesting bonus that salespeople who are effective listeners receive. As you flex the muscle of listening, the prospect or client gets to know you, as well. They begin to develop a clear picture of you and your company and what you stand for. Most of them will conclude that you are caring, trustworthy, professional, and reliable. You have opened the door to a quality, long-term service relationship!
Published: January 25, 2013
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