One of my favorite leadership books is Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. While all his habits are helpful, I continually go back to Habit #4: “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” That involves BOTH understanding and communicating, but the first step is understanding. Sales people are notorious for spewing out features and benefits. They talk and talk, thinking that if they don’t allow a prospective buyer to talk, she can’t say “No.” What a mistake!
A great salesperson (selling inside or outside an organization) learns early on that in order to sell effectively (or to convince ANYONE to do ANYTHING) he must first understand the situation, the buyer’s needs, the competitive landscape. Then, and only then, can he proceed to help the other person understand his perspective or what he is selling. If you haven’t read the book, I highly encourage you to read it. It will change the way you interact with people.