How often do you find yourself talking instead of listening? How often do you find yourself using the time you have to talk, telling and not asking questions?

Are you ever guilty of trying to demonstrate your own brilliance and knowledge by presenting your solution to a prospect before they've committed to buy from you? Have you ever invested precious time, money and resources proving to a prospect that you can help them identify their needs, give them solutions to their problems .... and then wonder why you aren't closing enough business.

You gain credibility from the questions you ask not from the information you give. Your job in the sale is to gather information not to give it.

You're in sales to go to the bank .... not to prove how bright, knowledgeable, educated or wonderful you are.

If you're giving information what aren't you doing?

You're not gathering information. You're doing free consulting. You're telling the prospect what s/he wants to know .... so what reason does your prospect have for retaining your company or your services? Not much.

This lesson learned late in my career cost me over £12 million in fee income and £3.6 million in lost commission.

Rule: Prospects never argue with their own data.

Gather their data and play it back to them in the form of their pain and in my experience and the experience of my clients you'll sell more, more often.

Happy selling!

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