Missing Touches Make a Difference
We start our day worrying about the call we need to make, the task we need to do. We seldom start our day asking “whose life will I touch to make a difference?” Perhaps we should.
Many years ago, during Redefining the Phone Call® training I was listening in on a call by a young internal salesperson. He was all prepared and ready to talk about his product. He felt confident and excited about what he learned and putting it into practice.
When the Advisor answered, there was a brief exchange of intros. The young man realized the tone of this Advisor was not like other tones he had heard. He had just learned about listening for what’s NOT said.
Bravely, he inquired if all was ok. With a slight hesitation the Advisor said, “My wife has just passed away.” Stunned and not sure what to do, he looked up at me for guidance. He desperately wanted to hang up. I gestured to continue to engage.
The young man expressed condolences and asked if he should just call back. The Advisor answered “No, this is the first time I’ve heard myself say it aloud and would really like to talk.”
So, the young man asked the Advisor to tell him about himself. As the Advisor talked about his business and wife, the internal listened intently and took notes.
When the Advisor finished talking, the young man thanked him. The Advisor then asked the young man to send some literature about his product. The young man agreed.
After hanging up he turned to me and said, “but I never told him about the product and who might be right for it.” I told him that may be correct, but that what he did was far greater. “You listened and were genuine. You made a difference in this man’s life today. That is a far greater value than you realize.”
Months later the young man called me to say that that Advisor had become his biggest producer.
The moral to this story is we should start our day with the mindset to help another and make a difference. Perhaps by doing this you’ll end up “Listening your way to a sale℠!”
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