Six Steps to Get and Keep Your Customers’ Attention!

After you’ve lost your customer’s attention, getting it back can be tough to do. It’s easier not to get into such a bind in the first place. To get – and keep -your customers’ attention from the very beginning of your sales meeting, here are six very effective techniques. You’ll likely close more often once you master the art of holding your customers’ attention throughout the entire sales presentation.

1. Organize your thoughts before you start talking. The most common source of confusing messages is muddled thinking. If a thought is not clear in your mind, it is going to sound worse when you speak it! Customers don’t want to struggle to understand you. In fact, if you don’t make sense, most customers will stop listening.

2. Get right to the point. One of the most effective ways to lose your customers is to leave them saying, “So, what’s the point?”

Give your listeners the “meat” of your sales presentation to chew on while you elaborate with details. Most customers don’t like being kept in suspense -except when they’re watching mysteries.

3. Translate what you have to say into benefits to the customer. People will seldom ignore what you are saying, if they believe there is something in it for them. Remember people are always tuned to station “WII-FM” – What’s In It For Me?

4. Ask questions to involve the listener.

Ask questions to learn your customers’ interests. Ask about their jobs, their families, their hobbies, or other areas that you might have in common.

Ask questions to make sure your customers are listening. Give them the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Remember your goal is to carry on a dialog, not a monologue.

5. Don’t be afraid to let the “real you” shine through!

Each of us has a unique personality – a blend of traits, thought patterns and mannerisms. You weaken your communication when you try to say things in unfamiliar ways. Why? Because you have to take on the additional role of acting. Instead of copying another person’s style, concentrate on what you are saying and to whom you are saying it. You’ll be more convincing and much more comfortable.

6. Be enthusiastic!

If you are not excited about your product or service, how can you expect your customers to be very interested? Be animated! Be lively! Add a little enthusiasm into your dialog, and you’ll have much more impact on your customers.

Make the effort to break through your customers’ sensory and mental filters. Then give the customers reasons to listen to you! Unless you have your customers’ attention, and you are willing to give them yours, you simply are not communicating!