認真傾聽可以提升說話者和聆聽者之間的相互了解與親和感，是一個重要的溝通技巧。認真傾聽者會注意到說話者使用的詞彙，語氣，以及姿勢語言（這涵蓋了溝通中的至少80%）。注意說話者如何用這些溝通元素來傳遞他說話內容的要點。
認真傾聽在建立說話者和聆聽者之間的親和感特別重要。這個溝通技巧會應用一個溝通中的核心技巧，就是複誦所聽到的重要信息。如此，可以讓說話者知道另一方在認真聽他說的內容。
認真傾聽是很重要的銷售技巧因為銷售員常過於關注在銷售，而忽略了潛在客戶說過的內容，沒有注意是潛在客戶要購買，需要評估的需要。當銷售員能夠做出對潛在客戶的需求與意見，會比較容易確認對話結果與建立起客戶的信心，達到雙方都有利益的經驗。
如此尊重對方的認知傾聽也可以避免發生誤會。在傾聽者做出複誦，說話者就有機會更正錯誤，避免聆聽者認知的錯誤。
關注另外一人的態度，效用不止在避免發生誤會，而且可以在銷售過程中，避免發生無可挽回的錯誤發展，以及產生銷售員于潛在客戶之間的相互抱怨。
在銷售週期中，最需要做認真傾聽的時候，是在做“釐清與回答客戶的拒絕或反對意見”。
這不是說要你閉上耳朵，關掉腦袋思考，結束交易。通常客戶會同時釋出其他有用的資訊，清楚說明他確實需要什麼？或是，他最在意些什麼？
以認真傾聽來結案成交
古板的銷售員，總是在客戶面前說個不停，但是如果這就是你的銷售作法，你就失去了許多很棒的銷售機會了。
一個常聽到的說法是：“你有兩個耳朵和一張嘴巴，你應該按比例來運用。”換句話說，當你要說話的時候，應該用二倍的時間來聽。
在整個銷售週期中，潛在客戶會留下許多關於他對你與你的產品的想法和感覺的線索。換句話說，他在告訴你，他喜歡什麼，不喜歡什麼，什麼是對他重要的。
這是你要銷售結案所需要的精確資訊，所以如果你沒有注意的話，你的銷售工作就會更辛苦。
練習認真傾聽
很少人（以及很少銷售員）是天生的好傾聽者。可能你要花很大的努力來改變你的壞傾聽習慣。
如果你願意改進，你會得到同等的回報。
認真傾聽的技巧包含：
- 關注說話者，而非你預備如何回應。
- 點頭，做眼神接觸，或確認你在傾聽
- 提出開放式問題來發現更多資訊
- 問出特定問題來釐清你的理解
- 觀察說話者的肢體語言來了解他的情緒狀況與隱含的意思
- 摘要複誦說話者的意思來確認你的理解是正確的
對潛在客戶認真傾聽，可以做到兩件事：第一、你可以完全了解潛在客戶告訴妳的，以及運用這些線索來結案成交。第二、對你的潛在客戶展示你的尊重，可以大大的促進你和客戶的親和感。
要成為一名好的傾聽者所常見的障礙是，當你聽到什麼有興趣的內容，就急於構思要做回答。當然，當你聽到了人家說了什麼，你很容易想到他後續要說的內容。有一個技巧可以讓你繼續關注在說話者，而非分心在你預備要回應的狀態，是只在內心里回應說話者所說的內容。
注意肢體語言
當某人在說話的時候，嘗試也用你的眼睛來“聽”。肢體語言是與說出的話一樣是傳遞語義的重要方式。所以，如果你在聽，但是沒有在看，你會漏掉一半的信息。保持眼神接觸，也可以讓說話者知道你在認真聽。
摘要複誦聽到的內容
當說話者結束談話時，摘要複誦他剛才說的內容。例如，你可以說：“似乎你很滿意這個款式，但是你希望可以小一些，因為你沒有那麼大的工作空間。”這可以讓說話者知道你有在傾聽，並且給他一個機會來立即更正任何誤會。摘要說話者的內容也可以挖掘出更多的細節（“是的，並且我想要一個紅色的…”）。這樣可以讓你交付給客戶所需的更正確。
知道如何回應客戶的顧慮
最後，如果你有問題或評論，嘗試以非對抗的管道呈現它們，確認你的客戶的擔憂。例如，如果一個潛在客戶說：“我不明白為什麼你不能在星期二之前交付，現在還有一周的時間。你可以說，“我知道不能馬上送貨是令人沮喪的，但我們有嚴格的品質控制和檢查過程，我們遵循，以確保你得到一流的設備。”
Promote sales by listening attentively
Listening attentively can improve the mutual understanding and affinity between the speaker and the listener. It is an important communication skill. A careful listener will notice the vocabulary, tone and gesture language used by the speaker (which covers at least 80% of communication). Pay attention to how the speaker uses these communication elements to convey the main points of his speech.
Listening attentively is particularly important in building a sense of affinity between the speaker and the listener. This communication skill will apply a core skill in communication, which is to recite the important information heard. In this way, the speaker can know that the other party is listening carefully to what he is saying.
Listening carefully is a very important sales skill because salesmen often pay too much attention to sales and ignore what potential customers have said. They don't pay attention to what potential customers need to buy and evaluate. When salesmen can make demands and opinions on potential customers, it will be easier to confirm the results of the dialogue and build customer confidence, so as to achieve the experience of mutual benefit.
Such respect for each other's cognitive listening can also avoid misunderstandings. When the listener recites, the speaker has the opportunity to correct the mistakes and avoid the mistakes of the listener's cognition.
Focusing on the attitude of another person can not only avoid misunderstanding, but also avoid irreparable errors in the sales process and generate complaints between salesmen and potential customers.
In the sales cycle, the most important time to listen carefully is to "clarify and answer customers' rejections or objections".
It's not about closing your ears, closing your head, thinking, and closing the deal. Usually the customer will release other useful information at the same time, clearly stating what he really needs? Or, what does he care most about?
Close the deal by listening carefully
Stylish salesmen always talk in front of customers, but if that's how you sell, you lose many great sales opportunities.
A common saying is, "You have two ears and one mouth. You should use them proportionally." In other words, when you want to speak, you should listen twice as long.
Throughout the sales cycle, potential customers leave many clues about how they think and feel about you and your products. In other words, he's telling you what he likes, what he doesn't like and what's important to him.
This is the precise information you need to close your sales case, so if you don't pay attention to it, your sales work will be even harder.
Practice listening carefully
Few people (and very few salesmen) are born good listeners. Maybe you have to work hard to change your bad listening habits.
If you are willing to improve, you will get the same reward.
The techniques of listening carefully include:
Ÿ Focus on the speaker, not how you plan to respond.
Ÿ Nod your head, make eye contact, or make sure you're listening.
Ÿ Raise open-ended questions to find more information
Ÿ Ask specific questions to clarify your understanding
Ÿ Observe the speaker's body language to understand his emotional state and implied meaning.
Ÿ Recite the speaker's meaning to confirm that your understanding is correct
Listening carefully to potential customers can accomplish two things: first, you can fully understand what potential customers tell you, and use these clues to close a deal. Second, showing respect to your potential customers can greatly promote your affinity with your customers.
The common obstacle to being a good listener is to be eager to conceive and answer when you hear something interesting. Of course, when you hear what people say, it's easy to think about what they're going to say later. There is a technique that allows you to continue to focus on the speaker, not distracted by the state in which you are prepared to respond, but on responding to what the speaker says in your heart.
Pay attention to body language
When someone is talking, try to "listen" with your eyes. Body language is as important a way to convey semantics as words spoken. So if you're listening, but you're not looking, you'll miss half of the information. Keeping eye contact also lets the speaker know that you are listening carefully.
Recite what you hear
When the speaker closes the conversation, the abstract repeats what he just said. For example, you can say, "It seems that you're satisfied with the style, but you want it to be smaller because you don't have that much work space." This will let the speaker know that you are listening and give him an opportunity to correct any misunderstanding immediately. The speaker's content can also dig out more details ("Yes, and I want a red..."). This will allow you to deliver what your customers need more correctly.
Know how to respond to customer concerns
Finally, if you have questions or comments, try presenting them in a non-confrontational way to confirm your customers' concerns. For example, if a potential customer says, "I don't understand why you can't deliver it by Tuesday, it's still a week away. You can say, "I know it's frustrating not to deliver immediately, but we have strict quality control and inspection procedures that we follow to ensure you get first-class equipment."
