The Importance of Active Listening In Sales & Customer Service

Many people don’t realize the importance of active listening in inbound and outbound telemarketing. The most effective salespeople work with clients and prospects to understand their pain points, needs, and aspirations. And then they use that knowledge to discover how they can help them achieve their goals.

Why is it so essential to be an active listener?

When you’re talking to your 27th customer of the day, you’re probably worried about what to have for your next meal or if the next person will answer your call. To pay adequate attention to every prospect, you must be present at every moment rather than attempting to multitask. We can’t complete two things well simultaneously. Your focus should be on the discussion, or else you can end up missing out on important details.

In a telecalling setting, it is okay to jot down notes and keywords that you can address with the client when the discussion seems to be slowing down. This ensures that you don’t miss out on any important information and can reassure the client that you are paying attention to them.

How to apply active listening ideally in telemarketing sales & customer service?

Active listening can be defined as an art. As such, it takes practice and determination; it is not easy for someone to do it correctly the first time. Learning any kind of art takes time and you cannot expect to nail it in your first, second, or even the third attempt. The same is the case with active listening in telemarketing. You must repeat, revise and practice it regularly to acquire the skill.

You must ask questions

If you want to be a good active listener, it’s basic to comprehend what’s being said. A simple method of doing that is by bringing up the right questions. You can acquire plenty of perspective and information just by asking questions and listening to responses. Give enough time to the speaker for pausing while you’re putting forward your inquiries. For instance, it’s alright to revise certain points for proper understanding on your end or to explain any related information that might be missed during the conversation. Particularly in telecalling, this makes the client feel significant and that they are being heard and perceived since they can’t see your cues or facial expressions. Try not to be shy! People generally appreciate it when you take the time to clarify everything.

Make sure to assess, comprehend and relate

Experienced telecalling agents comprehend that the objective of a call is to effectively tune in from the time the discussion starts to acquire a proper understanding of what the client/prospect is experiencing. Clients need that human touch, and the option to engage in a genuine discussion is what grabs their attention the most. Our personal assumptions, beliefs, judgments, and filters can tamper with what we hear. Therefore, you must pay attention without any judgement or criticism.

Conclusion

Active listening is quite uncommon nowadays, which is why telecallers need to implement active listening skills when it comes to telemarketing. In addition to the fact that it helps build strong connections, active listening can also guarantee a better understanding of others, effective resolution of problems, and conflict avoidance. Therefore, as telecalling agents, take the time to sincerely listen, ask relevant questions, and understand the people you talk with. Active listening is more than just waiting for a person to finish speaking; it is an intense form of concentration. Active listening is one of the pillars of powerful sales communication, because if you cannot listen well then you can’t understand what your prospects want.

Want to pursue a career in outbound telemarketing? Apply with Futwork and get the chance to work for top companies, work from home as per your schedule, and earn over ₹20K a month. Get started here!