Being good at conversation is a skill that you need to develop if you want to succeed in business. Conversational skills is relatively easy to learn even if you think of yourself as shy. If you do it right, the other person does the majority of the work and enjoys every minute of it. The secret is not to do all the talking but to focus on other people and listen to what they have to say.
A good conversationalist asks questions. It is important that you don't act as if you know it all because you can guide the sales conversation with your questions. If you don’t have a clue what the other person is talking about, ask. Not only will you learn something, but you will also stimulate more conversation.
Listen to the your prospect and remember that listening is not a passive act. Use your mind as well as your ears so that you absorb what is being said. Unless you think about what you are hearing, you can’t respond appropriately.
If you meet with prospects in person pay attention to body signals. If you look at other people when you are speaking, make eye contact with them and check out their posture, you will know if you are holding their attention or boring them to tears.
Make sure that the signals you send tell the person that you are listening. That means facing people, looking into their eyes, nodding from time to time, and paraphrasing or repeating what they have said.
Most importantly, wait until the other person has finished speaking before you start to talk. Resist the urge to complete someone else’s thought or jump in with a response mid-sentence. No matter how enlightening your next comment may be, the person who is rudely interrupted will not be impressed and you won't make the sale.
Author Resource:-
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author featured in the Wall Street Journal and many other off-line and on-line publications. Lydia shares her business etiquette tips in her monthly e-zine, her blog and on Twitter. To register for these free services visitManners That Sell today!
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