The Art of Silence During the Presentation

The Art of Silence during the Presentation

Pre-Need Selling, an Art or Science?

             I’m working on an interview you will be hearing more about shortly.  In preparation for the interview I picked up a few books on the subject.  One book really caught my attention and below is an excerpt from the first two paragraphs of the book, “How to Interview”, The Art of the Media Interview by Paul McLaughlin:

            “If I could write one chapter about interviewing, it would be listening.  And if I could write only one sentence it would be this.  The more deeply you listen, the more eloquently people will speak.

            Active concentrated listening does not benefit only you.  It also helps the speaker.  Just as an actor playing Hamlet would have great difficulty delivering a soliloquy with feeling if the audience were distracted, an interviewer who does not pay complete attention to what a guest is saying will diminish the interviewee’s ability to speak and the quality of what he or she says.”

            Isn’t it amazing how we find topics, techniques, and strategies outside our industry that are so compelling and applicable to today’s pre-need sales associate you’d think it was written for us in the pre-need industry?

The only formula for success

     I’ve mentioned that there is a two step formula for success in this business.  That formula is to find people to talk to and to talk to those people you find.  I went a little more in depth by suggesting you incorporate your story, your “WHY” you got into this business into your presentation.

Here’s today’s tip: 

     You, the Presenter, should be speaking approximately 20% of the time while making your presentation.  I can’t tell you how many Memorial Counselors I’ve worked with that wait for the Prospect to take a breath and immediately speak.  And when I say speak I don’t just mean speak, I mean shove lots and lots of words into the mix usually interrupting the train of thought of the Prospect.

     There is a science to Presenting and there is an art to Listening.  Another way to say it is there is a formula to presenting much like there are ingredients to baking. 

     When you bake you use a formula with ingredients and specific times and places to incorporate the two.  When baking, if you mix the ingredients out of order, or different from the formula you have a big fat disaster on your hands!

God gave you two ears to listen twice as much as you talk

     Listening is like cooking, not baking.  When you cook dinner you can throw a little of this and a little of that in the mix without being precise.  Dinner will still come out excellent unlike baking that requires an exact formula and ingredients added at certain times.

     That is the way it is with presenting to a couple.  Presenting is like baking a cake and you need to go over different steps in a set order. 

     Listening is just the opposite.  There is no preciseness to it.  It is a fluid interaction that requires a level of understanding that only works when you the Presenter listen without jumping in. 

     When you the presenter “hear” all of the thoughts of the Prospect in full context uninterrupted, usually explained in layman non-industry terms you understand what’s being said more clearly.  Many times you the Presenter need to ask questions to clarify what your Prospect means when he/she makes a statement.

Practice the Art of Listening

     Here’s a way to “practice” listening.  The next time you are having a conversation with anyone about any subject listen and “SAY NOTHING”. 

     Just listen, or encourage the individual to keep talking.  What you will discover is a whole new world out there. 

     A world of understanding more of what people are saying to you, a world of accomplishing more of what you want because you know what the other party wants.

     Try it.  Try listening a lot and saying very little.  You’ll find that it’s difficult because we all like to hear ourselves talk. BUT, listen anyway!

It’s amazing

     It goes with the other adage of talking about ourselves.  Nothing beats talking a lot about your number one most interesting subject:  I, ME, and MY SELF.

     Stick with the formula of speaking 20% of the time and listening 80% of the time while discovering the Art of understanding what it is your Prospect truly wants.

Happy Selling!

David…

P.S.  To get more info on the formula for success it begins with Mining Your Natural Market (tapping into your spheres of influence) and continues with Champion Endorser, follow-up programs, stay-in-touch programs, newsletter, and systems.  Check it all out here.

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