You can get many insights about sales conversations from day to day life situations. Let us look at one, which is related to the habit of interrupting customers.
Why were we told in our childhood that interrupting the elders is bad or wrong?
Can you think of how the elders felt when you interrupted while they were talking? I am sure you must have seen the anger and irritation on their face.
Do you remember why you were interrupting them in the first place?
Maybe there was something important that you wanted to convey. Or maybe you were not getting their attention. Or you wanted to feel that you are also important.
These sane emotions generally make you interrupt your customers too.
If this irritates your parents, imagine what may be happening in the mind of your prospect or customer when you interrupt.
Depending upon the situation, interrupting sends a variety of messages to the prospect which generates a host of negative thoughts in their mind.
ALSO CHECK- Why listening is critical in sales and how to improve it quickly?
So do you know, when you interrupt, what does your customer think?
As per a Forbes article by Dianne Schilling, when you interrupt your customers, it sends one or many of the following messages about your approach to them.
“I’m more important than you are.”
“What I have to say is more interesting, accurate, or relevant.”
“I don’t really care what you think.”
“I don’t have time for your opinion.”
“This isn’t a conversation, it’s a contest, and I’m going to win.”
“Look how smart I am!”
“I have already guessed what you want to say. So let me speak and you shut up!”
While we have listed most of the dominant thoughts in your prospects mind, these are certainly not all of them.
So, what do all of these messages say to your prospect? It is simple.They say you are focused on yourself and your goals, rather than your prospects.
Now you can imagine how the prospect or the customer will feel!
As Dianne says, “We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick thinker and an agile talker, the burden is on you to relax your pace for the slower, more thoughtful communicator—or for the guy who has trouble expressing himself.”
So what is the better way out?
it is to follow a simple rule of 2 seconds. Let your customers complete what they want to say. Wait for a couple of seconds. Then start making your point.
These 2 seconds can be difficult. They will make you uncomfortable. But they will also transform your conversation.
You and your customer will get more time to think. Your customer will feel more comfortable with you. Finally, you will get more control on what you say.
If you try this, let us know what happened.