Have you ever had a word or phrase pop into your head out of nowhere? It happened to me the other day. I was trying to remember a quote about active listening so I could share it with a friend. I couldn’t put my finger on it and it was driving me nuts. Finally, after a quick internet search, I found what I had been looking for.
The quote is: “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Shoot Fish in a Barrel at Your Own Peril
As I sat here staring at those words, it hit me. That's really a big part of what sales involves; listening. This is especially true if you are offering someone an incentive like a custom plastic gift card or membership. Too often, stores make their employees perform microwaved sales pitches to move more cards. On occasion, this method works, but only on occasion. The key to sales is really listening more and selling less.
Businesses would sell more gift cards if they started to recognize that their employees already have all of the tools they need to:
- Create purposeful effort
- Be persuasive
- Be direct
These are all beneficial skills for selling custom gift cards, and they are all in the features we possess. The key is learning how to use them.
The Two-Ears-One-Mouth Philosophy
When we listen to someone-and I mean really listen-it translates to them, not only in having the benefit of our full attention, but as purposeful effort on our part. That effort gets returned with sincere interest in what we have to offer. It’s the perfect opportunity to fully listen to a problem and then show-don’t sell-how a custom plastic gift card solves the problem. People respond to attentive problem solving.
Persuasion is really an act of listening too. If you listen closely to what someone is telling you, they will give you all the information you need to make a sale. Pay particular attention to their:
- Questions
- Frustrations
- Requests
- Suggestions
They are opening the door for your product or service. Maybe they would be more apt to try it if it came with a discount card or gift certificate? Does it help them save money on their purchase today? What about on future purchases? Present it as an incentive that addresses one of those areas.
Brevity has been called the soul of wit. I think people appreciate directness. Try not to fill
all of the silences or leave too many. If they are giving you an opening; take it. Tell them who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Sometimes all you need is a really good highlight reel and they’ll leave your store; gift card in-hand.
Of course, if you ever feel like this philosophy isn’t enough, Plastic Printers can add a little
pop or some eye-catching details to your custom plastic gift cards. All you have to do is ask. Just visit our website: www.plasticprinters.com or contact us to get started.
