Hear ye! Hear! Active listening applied to sales: better understand your customer's needs
Active listening is a psychological technique mainly used in the world of human resources management.
But it is also very useful in customer relationship management, particularly during the prospecting, sales and after-sales service stages.
At a time when the customer experience and customer concerns are at the heart of every strategy, active listening is the ideal way to reassure customers, understand and respond to their needs, and build customer loyalty.
What exactly is active listening? What are its objectives, its benefits and the method to be applied?
Active listening: definition, origin and challenges
The concept of active listening originated in the United States, more specifically with Carl Rogers, a humanist psychologist and pioneer of non-directive techniques.
Among his works, this communication technique, also known as benevolent listening, consists of :
- listening attentively to the other person, without interruption, interpretation or judgement,
- paying attention to both verbal and non-verbal communication,
- then using :
- questioning to make sure you have understood the message or the expression of need ;
- rephrasing to demonstrate understanding and summarise the exchange.
☝️ It is the latter which is particularly used by the sales team during the sales meeting, particularly during the discovery plan.
Fundamental values
How do you adopt an active listening attitude? By conveying these values
- sincerity
- patience
- availability,
- observation of body language and non-verbal behaviour,
- respect,
- openness,
- objectivity, or at least recognition of one's own subjectivity,
- non-directiveness,
- empathy.
The objectives of active listening
🎯 The aim is to obtain validation, confirmation and trust from the person expressing themselves, to rule out any possibility of misunderstanding or waste of time, and to go further in the exchanges, which are also qualitative.
In the fields of HR, training and personal development, the advantages are :
- Creating a climate of trust, conducive to expression,
- overcoming potential blockages
- defusing and improving conflict resolution.
☝️ This technique is used during annual or professional interviews.
It is clear that the benefits of this method can also be applied to customer relations in terms of :
- understanding needs
- removing obstacles to purchase,
- establishing a relationship based on trust,
- managing customer relations in the event of complaints or disputes.
🎯 Customers give you more time and develop their arguments, taking you into their confidence.
What are the techniques of active listening?
Active listening involves 4 stages. It can be easily adapted to different sales techniques, such as the QQOQCP or SONCAS method, in the phases of discovering needs, buying motivations and obstacles.
Stage 1: Listening attentively
It's all about being attentive, but not passive.
How do you do this? Some people call it positive silence. It's all about gestures and behaviour, such as smiles, nods and concentrated gazes.
If the silence seems to bother or worry the other person, you can also punctuate their arguments with encouraging and reassuring words, such as "yes, I understand".
Stage 2: Clarification
After listening comes the questioning stage.
This involves :
- Clarifying the key ideas, feelings and/or points of view of the customer,
- understanding the meaning of the words used and avoiding any misunderstanding, which could be due to poor expression on the part of the sender but also poor understanding on the part of the receiver.
Examples of questions:
- What do you mean by...?
- Can you rephrase it?
- Could you give me an example?
🤓 Of course, during the answers, you switch back to "active listening" mode.
Stage 3: Investigation
You've clarified the meaning of the words used, now you can delve deeper into your customer's words, situation and emotions.
There are several types of question that can help you do this:
- open-ended questions: "Why is this important to you?
- factual questions: "What impact has (success/problem) had on your production?
- survey questions, asking for the customer's opinion: "In your opinion, what is good customer support?
They have the merit of :
- help you to identify the importance of needs or objections, their origins and begin to envisage solutions;
- encourage the person you are talking to to go further in their own thinking.
Step 4: Reformulation
Reformulation is the result of all the listening, clarification and investigation work:
- not only does the customer feel reassured that they have been listened to and understood, and can even provide clarification if necessary,
- but the sales person is sure to have all the information they need to respond, either with a sales argument, a new offer or by closing the case.
Rephrasing what has been said offers repetition, enabling memorisation, synthesis and conclusion.
Active listening is a fundamental sales technique. Unlike older, more insistent methods, you put yourself on the same wavelength as your customer and encourage their commitment. At the same time, you stand out from your more hurried (and pushy) competitors.
Even when you're used to it, active listening isn't easy for salespeople, especially when they have targets to meet.
However, contrary to appearances, it can save you precious time.
Last but not least, take notes and record everything in a CRM, like Salesforce Sales Cloud, so that you don't forget and lose all that listening work. You'll be able to refer back to it when you have new discussions.
Don't hesitate to consult our directory to discover other CRM solutions.
A practical example of dialogue
Active listening isn't just about nodding your head or letting the customer talk while you wait your turn. It means paying genuine attention to the person you're talking to and adopting a positive attitude and posture! You can turn this communication skill into a formidable tool in sales and customer relationship management... as long as you master the codes.
Here's an example of a situation in which a sales assistant talks to a customer. Each stage of the discussion is designed to identify needs, eliminate resistance and offer a reassuring experience. A little method, a lot of benevolence and active listening: that's the winning combination. 🙌
Context: Paul, a sales manager, is talking to Léa, a sales assistant at a CRM publisher. He's looking for a tool, but has developed distrust after several bad experiences.
Step 1 - Listening carefully
Paul: I've tested two CRM software packages for my company... Frankly, it's too complex in practice for what I want to do.
Léa: I'm listening (smile, open notebook, silent nods).
Paul: And I'm not even talking about customer support. I feel like I'm being sent to a FAQ every time I have a question...
Step 2 - Clarification
Léa: When you say "too complex", do you mean the interface, the settings, or something else? Can you expand on your idea in more detail?
Paul: I think about everything. Even creating a simple little contact made me feel like I was coding a website. It was too difficult to use!
Stage 3 - Investigation
Léa: What do you expect from a CRM tool on a day-to-day basis?
Paul: Just to be efficient! To keep track of my customers, to follow up my prospects, to have a clear view of my pipeline. No need to look for a complicated tool!
Step 4 - Reformulation
Léa: So, to sum up our discussion: a simple CRM, focused on monitoring your company's customers, and without a gas factory. Am I right?
Paul: Exactly. And if you promise not to forget everything after the call, I'm ready to listen and think about your offer.
Léa : I promise, everything will be recorded in our software. Your information won't get lost!
Understanding for better selling
Between what I think, what I mean, what I think I say, what I say, what you want to hear, what you hear, what you understand... there are ten ways in which we can have difficulty communicating. But let's try anyway...
Bernard Werber
In the world of sales, actively listening to people and being aware of how they feel is one of the fundamental pillars of fluid communication. It's the first step in capturing the person's message. Understanding their real needs and analysing their emotions: that's the real objective of active listening!
Practising empathic listening means interpreting different types of signals, identifying a problem, and decoding words without passing judgement. You are looking for a deep understanding of the person in front of you. Paying attention to the person you are talking to is a key step in establishing a relationship of trust, arousing genuine interest and finding a solution that is perfectly adapted to the situation.
Non-verbal posture and listening signals
Non-verbal communication is not just about words! It's in the eyes, the silences, the tone of voice and the attitude of the person you're talking to that you get the essential message. All the little non-verbal signals count when you're face-to-face to find out whether they're interested in the message.
Active listening is not limited to words: every bodily expression communicates important information. Take account of all verbal and non-verbal signals, make sure you don't interrupt and allow the person to express themselves fully. That's how you get the most out of active listening!
To manage this interaction with your customer or prospect, a CRM tool like Salesforce Sales Cloud can be very useful for recording key information without disrupting the exchange. Consult our directory to choose the best CRM solution for your working environment.
Salesforce Sales Cloud
Handling objections with empathy
Objections are not a definitive "no", a strict refusal. They are unexpressed feelings, unarticulated needs, hidden emotions, questions or problems to which no clear answer or relevant advice has yet been given. These are real avenues to explore. 🔎
And these are things you can detect using sympathetic listening. This communication technique involves asking questions, interpreting the customer's words, and repeating what the other person has said to ensure that you have understood their concerns. Taking account of non-verbal elements, such as body language, is essential to ensure that each response is perfectly adapted and ultimately to overcome any objections.
To do this, you can probe your customer's point of view: "Do you have any doubts about the solution because of the price or the adaptation time?" Learn how to react methodically and respectfully to manage communication as well as possible and succeed in allaying doubts and questions.
Valuing proposed solutions
When valuing a solution, it is crucial to ensure that it responds to the customer's specific problem, while taking into account their professional expectations and types of needs. Active listening enables you to find an appropriate value proposition, by reformulating the elements expressed by the customer. Adding value to a solution is more than just giving an answer. It means showing that you have grasped every detail of the situation and that you have the right answer. No generic solutions here!
So, restate the expectations and show that you are capable of perceiving the problems raised during the interview: "Are you looking for something simple, that is easy to integrate into the daily life of each member of your team, without any heavy training? That's exactly what our solution offers. Adopt this sales technique, which is based on respectful and precise communication.
Active listening in the professional world, an underrated quality
In the sales process, every exchange becomes an opportunity to solve a problem. Active listening is a concept of clear, benevolent communication designed to create a climate of trust. When you ask targeted questions and give precise answers, you can decode the real expectations of the person you are listening to. The key here is to manage objections with a person-centred, respectful and appropriate approach. This creates a climate of trust and strengthens the relationship at every stage.
Understanding your customer's situation and letting them express themselves is what enables you to propose the most appropriate solutions to meet their needs. Active listening is a concept that enables you to add value to each proposal with simple, appropriate solutions, without verbalising, strengthening the professional relationship and guaranteeing you lasting success. Without active listening, you miss out on real opportunities!