Whose voice do you hear in your head?
How about when you’re on a sales call?
Is it yours? Mine? Your prospect’s? God’s?

If it’s your voice, that’s a sign that you’re thinking. Alone with your thoughts? Great. Still hearing your thoughts when you’re with a prospect? That can only mean you won’t hear the most important words your prospect will say. You won’t be present. You won’t have material from which to ask your good, tough, timely questions. The questions won’t get asked.

If it’s my voice, that’s a sign you’re coachable and I’m in your head. You’re learning, internalizing, growing, getting better. If you’re hearing my voice when you’re alone in the car or at your desk, that’s good. If my voice pops into your head when you’re talking with a prospect, you’ll have the same problem as when it’s your voice you’re hearing.

If it’s God’s voice, well, how will you know?

There have been at least five times when I’ve heard God’s (or God’s proxy) voice and it’s starkly different from any other voice I’ve heard in my head. It’s authoritative, loud, stark, and life-changing. At various times in my life, that voice has commanded me to:

• Get out of a car in which I was a passenger — saved my life
• Take a job I was afraid to accept — changed my path to sales
• Change careers — I just celebrated 40 years in the sales consulting industry
• Pursue an opportunity that wasn’t part of my plan — worth hundreds of thousands of dollars
• Change religions — a life-changing call to convert

I think there is a two-part theme with the voice of God.

1. Recognize, listen and act — don’t question it.
2. The voice is path-activated — you only hear it when you’re not on the right path.

That leaves your prospect’s voice. If you’re hearing that voice loud and clear, then you’re present and the only action required is that you ask another question. But the question must be relevant, using their previous statement as context, in an effort to get ever closer to their compelling reason to buy from you.

We’re talking classic listening and questioning but don’t be fooled by the classic part because it’s not only classic, it’s also rare. Only 27% of all salespeople are strong in the two competencies responsible for listening and asking:

1. Stays in the Moment — Only 37% of salespeople have this competency as a strength. Taking a closer look: 67% of the top 10%, 26% of the bottom 50%, and 13% of the bottom 10%.
2. Consultative Seller — Only 17% of salespeople have this competency as a strength. Taking a closer look: 60% of the top 10%, 5% of the bottom 50%, and 0% of the bottom 10%.

It’s a generally accepted fact that Discovery is the foundation of most sales cycles and it’s a requirement of the complex sale. Despite that, most salespeople, whether they know it or not, mostly suck at Discovery because they lack the listening and questioning skills to take a consultative approach.

Why?
It’s hard! Before a salesperson can learn these skills, they need to clear their heads of those voices. Then they need to learn what to listen for and how to ask better follow-up questions.

So the next time you’re sitting across from a prospect and a voice pipes up—whether it’s yours, mine, or even God’s—do this one thing:

Shut it up.

Not because those voices are bad.
It’s just that those voices don’t sign the check.

The only voice that matters in that moment is your prospect’s voice.
When you can hear that voice—really hear it—without your own commentary track running in the background, something magical happens.

The right question slides off your tongue.
The hidden compelling reason surfaces.
Urgency walks right up and introduces itself.

And suddenly you’re not “selling.”
You’re simply the person who finally understood them.

That’s when deals get bigger.
That’s when win rates jump.
That’s when you stop chasing and start choosing.

So ask yourself…
Whose voice are you hearing right now on your sales calls?

If it’s not your prospect’s, maybe it’s time we fixed that. Reach out to us here.