A vendor left me a phone message. He began by thanking me for visiting his booth at a conference at which I was a speaker. He told me his product was just what I needed—it would solve some of my biggest problems—and he assured me I’d benefit in many ways. He then asked if I’d call him back so we could continue the conversation.
Conversation? What conversation? This fellow had mastered the Art of the One-Way Dialogue!
A vendor left me a phone message. He began by thanking me for visiting his booth at a conference at which I was a speaker. He told me his product was just what I needed—it would solve some of my biggest problems—and he assured me I’d benefit in many ways. He then asked if I’d call him back so we could continue the conversation.
Conversation? What conversation? This fellow had mastered the Art of the One-Way Dialogue!
Actually, I hadn’t visited his booth. He’d probably gotten my name from a list of conference attendees. As I listened to his message, my reaction was: We’ve never met. We’ve never talked. You understand neither my problems nor what I’d find acceptable as a solution. How can you claim to know what I need when you don’t know a thing about me?
Pssst, wanna buy a watch?
If you’re trying to sell something—whether it’s a product, service, idea, attitude or action—you’ll be more likely to succeed if instead of talking, talking, talking, you focus on inquiring, listening, and learning so as to understand the customer’s challenges, fears, obligations and responsibilities.
I was tempted to call the vendor back and leave a message of my own. “Thanks for visiting my voicemail system. My explanation for why I don’t like your sales process is exactly what you need. It will solve some of your biggest problems, and I assure you you’ll benefit in many ways. Please call me back so we can continue the conversation.” (But I resisted.)
About the author
Naomi Karten is a highly experienced speaker and seminar leader who draws from her psychology and IT backgrounds to help organizations improve customer satisfaction, manage change, and strengthen teamwork. She has delivered seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally. Naomi's newest books are Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals and Changing How You Manage and Communicate Change. Her other books and ebooks include Managing Expectations, Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, and How to Survive, Excel and Advance as an Introvert. Readers have described her newsletter, Perceptions & Realities, as lively, informative, and a breath of fresh air. She is a regular columnist for StickyMinds.com. When not working, Naomi's passion is skiing deep powder. Contact her at naomi@nkarten.com or via her Web site, www.nkarten.com.
