Sales Strategies Using Active Listening

You don’t need a script to grow your business. You need actual conversations. The kind that feel real, not rehearsed. The kind that build trust, not pressure. Because people don’t buy when they feel sold to. They buy when they feel understood. That’s where active listening comes in. Here are 10 active listening techniques that build trust (and close deals): 1. Start with a question  ↳ Not a checklist question. A human one.  ↳ Ask “What would a win look like for you?” 2. Paraphrase what you hear  ↳ “So what I’m hearing is…”  ↳ This simple line proves you’re paying attention. 3. Be fully present  ↳ No distractions. No multitasking.  ↳ Your focus is your credibility. 4. Let silence work for you  ↳ Don’t rush to fill every gap.  ↳ A short pause gives people space to open up. 5. Ask a follow-up  ↳ "Tell me more about that." ↳ Curiosity is a superpower. 6. Acknowledge emotion  ↳ “That sounds frustrating” or “That’s exciting.” ↳ It makes people feel seen, and safe. 7. Connect the dots out loud  ↳ “Sounds like this ties back to what you said…”  ↳ People feel known, not just noted. 8. Use notes wisely  ↳ Jot keywords, but keep your eyes up.  ↳ Trust is built in real time. 9. Summarize clearly  ↳ “Here’s what I heard, did I get that right?”  ↳ It shows respect and helps prevent missteps. 10. Close with next steps  ↳ Offer something tailored: an intro, an idea. ↳ No pitch. Just progress. You don’t need to push.  You just need to tune in. When people feel understood, they open up. And that’s when real business begins. It all starts with how you listen. 📌Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies  that don’t feel like selling.

Every $200K+ deal we closed this year had the same 30/70 split. We talked 30%, they talked 70%. Here’s what active listening actually looks like in practice. Earlier this year, we were losing a deal. The prospect kept saying our pricing was “too expensive” and they could “just run their own infrastructure.” ------ Here’s the actual conversation that turned it around: Prospect: “Look, this is just too expensive. It’s cheaper to run our own infra. It works most of the time.” Me: “Let me make sure I understand. You like Recall and want to stay with us, but the price is the blocker. And you’re unsure because your in-house build works 95% of the time, but when that 5% happens, everything’s on fire. Is that right?” Prospect: “Exactly. And when those recordings don’t happen, our customers lose trust in us.” Me: “So what happens during that 5% when the recordings fail?” Prospect: “We scramble. We drop everything. Customers get angry. It’s a nightmare.” At that point, they started selling themselves. The deal closed two weeks later. ----- I didn’t pitch features. I didn’t counter their objections. I just repeated back what they told me until they heard their own problem clearly. People won’t listen to your solution until they feel heard about their problem. Most prospects give you a jumbled monologue mixing what they want with what’s broken. Your job is to untangle it and reflect it back. The magic happens when they say “exactly.” That’s when you know you’ve earned the right to solve their problem. Active listening isn’t just nodding along. It’s making sure they know you understand before you try to be understood.

Most salespeople hear, but few listen. We’re thinking about what we’re going to say next. We’re caught up in our own agenda and thoughts. Listening between the lines is a sales superpower. It’s about picking up what’s not being said. It takes guts. It’s about calling out what you’re feeling in your gut to surface more truth. Listening between the lines sounds like this: “It seems like the timing is off.” “It feels like you have some concerns.” “I’m sensing that price might be a sticking point.” “There’s a ceiling to what you want to pay.” “You’re not sure this will work for you.” “Won’t there be internal pushback from your CFO?” “It seems like this might not be a priority for you right now.” “It feels like you might be concerned about implementation.” If you guess wrong, that’s okay. People like to correct, but they don’t like being corrected. The rule? If you feel it, say it. Unlocking truth is a good skill to learn and master. Without truth, we spend too much time chasing deals that don’t close. No truth, no trust. No trust, no transaction.

How can salespeople win more sales by being present and curious about customer conversations? In today's competitive sales environment, the quality of customer interactions is a key differentiator. Being present involves giving undivided attention, active listening, observing body language, and employing emotional intelligence. This creates a safe space for open communication and builds trust. To improve presence, salespeople should prepare thoroughly, create distraction-free environments, use reflective listening, and manage their emotions. Curiosity is sometimes the "secret sauce" of effective sales conversations. Curious salespeople gain deeper insights, build stronger relationships, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Strategies to cultivate curiosity include asking open-ended questions, adopting a beginner's mindset, showing genuine interest, and exploring the underlying reasons behind customer needs. When applied together, presence and curiosity enhance emotional attunement, adaptive questioning, and understanding of customer needs. Successful salespeople help prospects focus on the present moment, addressing immediate needs while acknowledging past experiences and future concerns. By combining presence and curiosity, salespeople build lasting relationships, prioritizing long-term partnerships over quick wins. This may lead to higher job satisfaction for salespeople and enable them to adapt faster to market changes and develop innovative solutions. For sales leaders, the most pertinent work is to foster a culture of presence and curiosity for their sales teams. #presence #curiosity #salesculture

Last week, my client got hit with some hard truth. A prospect told him straight up: "You're not hearing what I'm saying." Ouch.  That one stings, right? But seriously, it was the wake-up call he needed. His first reaction? "They weren't listening to me." But after some reflection, he saw it: He was talking too much. (nerves) It wasn't about them. It was about him. So we got to work. We dialed in 5 key strategies to listen more effectively: 1. Ask "What" questions.      → then zip it and actively listen. 2. Summarize to clarify.    → "So what I'm hearing is...X, correct?"     3. Pause.    → Don't fill the space. Let silence work for you.     4. Control the frame.    → Lead the conversation, stay on topic.     5. Focus on them.    → Understand their challenges, goals, and desires. It's a mindset shift. From pitching to helping. From talking to understanding. And guess what? Since making that shift, he's had 5 more calls. Closed 3 new clients. The more he embraced the "listen-first" approach, the more value he created. And the more clients he landed. Remember People want to feel heard and understood. When you give them that, selling becomes effortless. You're not forcing anything. You're simply giving them exactly what they need. And trust me, they'll feel it. Agree?

The secret to sales mastery lies in what you don't say. Most sales professionals talk too much. They believe constant persuasion and pressure drive results, but this approach often backfires. The most effective sales professionals understand a different truth: Strategic silence creates the space where decisions naturally form. Consider these principles: - Stop selling after addressing concerns - Create room for internal processing - Wait for buying signals to emerge - Let value statements breathe The best outcomes happen when prospects reach their own conclusions. When they start asking about next steps, implementation, or pricing - that's when you know silence has done its work. This approach requires: 1. Active listening skills 2. Clear value communication 3. Precise answers to questions 4. Confident pause management The difference between average and exceptional sales results often comes down to excelling at these moments of quiet. Think about your last sales conversation: Did you fill every gap with words? Did you give your prospect time to process? Did you listen more than you spoke? Master strategic silence, and watch as prospects start closing themselves. What silent moments will you create in your next sales conversation?

𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. Was to stop talking. And focus on listening. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵, 𝘆𝗼𝘂: Invent pain points that don't exist. Lose track of the conversation. Turn people off. What to do instead: 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. This will instantly Improve your conversations. Because when you actively listen, you: → Present relevant solutions. → Connect with your buyer. → Uncover hidden needs. → Close more deals. Here's how to do it in 5 steps: 𝟭) 𝗜𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿: → Keep it natural, → Keep it simple, → Make it quick. 𝟮) 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: → Don't make sound like an interview → Make it relevant, → Be concise. 𝟯) 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝟮𝟬% 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆: → Buyers have less pain points than you think → Don't assume anything, → Listen and answer. 𝟰) 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: → Acknowledge emotions, → Show empathy, → Answer. 𝟱) 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀: → Show that you're actively listening → Recap what's been shared → Summarize key points. 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀: • Always ask open-ended questions • Don't force ideas on to people • Prepare for follow-up calls. 69% of buyers expect you to listen to their needs. PS: How do you practice active listening?

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. I remember the first time I closed a lead into a paying client. It wasn't about the fancy ads or the perfectly crafted social media posts. It was about genuine connection and understanding their pain points. So, what's the one thing you need to start doing today to convert more leads into paying clients? 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Here's why: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀: Before you pitch, know their pain points. Dive deep into what keeps them up at night. → Ask questions. → Listen more than you talk. → Empathize with their struggles. 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: One-size-fits-all solutions rarely work. Customise your approach based on their unique needs. → Show them how your services directly address their problems. → Use their language and terminology. → Make them feel understood. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: Relationships convert leads, not sales tactics. Establish trust by consistently providing value. → Share success stories. → Offer free insights or tips. → Be there when they need you, even if it's just for advice. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗨𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: Persistence is key, but there's a fine line between persistent and pushy. → Schedule follow-ups based on their buying cycle. → Provide new insights or value in each interaction. → Respect their time and decisions. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, converting leads isn't about closing a sale. It's about building a relationship where they see you as a trusted advisor. So, next time you're on a call with a potential client, put down your pitch deck and just listen. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀? Share your experiences below!👇 #LeadConversion #ClientEngagement #ActiveListening #RelationshipBuilding #SalesStrategy