Forget Scripts: How to Increase Sales Through Active Listening

Summary:

• Active listening is just as important as scripts for improving sales conversations.
• Pausing after the prospect speaks can encourage them to share more information.
• Focus entirely on what the prospect is saying, instead of planning your next response.
• Pay attention to tone and hesitation to uncover hidden concerns and adjust your approach.
• Build on the prospect’s statements to keep the conversation moving and add value.

During sales calls, a lot of attention is spent on scripts—what you should say in your opening, when you’re confronted with objection responses, as you’re closing, and more.

And sure, scripts are important. They’re well worth the time you spend developing them.

But talking is only one part of a sales call, and most reps don’t spend nearly enough on the other part: listening.

So today, let's forget scripts and focus our attention on the other side of the coin. Read on as we show you how to increase sales by paying attention to the gold coming through your earpiece during your phone conversations with prospects.

Make Sure You Understand Them

The whole point of listening is to understand—so the foundation of your job as an active listener is to focus on what you hear and get clarification on important points before plowing ahead.

Even when you think you have a decent understanding of what your prospect is saying, it helps to paraphrase it back, and get confirmation that you've got it right.

Example

You: "Okay, so your biggest concern right now isn't so much the traffic that your website is getting, but that visitors are leaving too quickly and not taking action?"

Prospect: "Exactly! We’re getting a lot of hits, but our bounce rate is way too high, and hardly anyone is filling out the contact form."

You: "Got it. That’s something we can definitely help with. Let me walk you through a few ideas that can reduce that bounce rate and improve conversions."

Benefits

• Gives you an opportunity to correct anything you may have misunderstood.
• Asking whether you understand correctly presents an opportunity for your prospect to say yes—which can make them more receptive to future requests or pitches (see “Go From ‘Yes’ to ‘Yes, and…’” at the end of this article).
• After repeating something back for clarification, a prospect will often offer up even more information. This can help you move the sale forward.

Use Pauses to Your Advantage

How common is it during a conversation when you and your prospect both speak at the same time and one person inevitably says, "Go ahead..."?

It happens all the time, and it interrupts the natural flow of any point you’re making. So it’s best to avoid this. Learn to leave a pause after your prospect stops speaking.

Example

Prospect: "We’ve been trying to find a solution that would allow us to integrate our CRM with our email marketing tools. We need something seamless, but most of the platforms we’ve looked at don’t quite offer that."

(You pause for a moment.)

Prospect: "Actually, now that I think about it, we’ve also been struggling with syncing our data between the CRM and our reporting tools. It’s been a real pain."

You: "Thanks for mentioning that. We can definitely address both of those issues with our platform. Let me explain how the integration works…"

Benefits

• When you take a breath before starting on your next point, your prospect will often continue, adding important information that can shape the conversation.
• Even if they don’t, the extra moment may help you formulate a stronger point.

Stay In the Moment

It’s human nature to think of what you’ll say next while the prospect is still talking. But that often distracts us from what’s happening in the present moment.

Teach yourself to break this habit and focus on exactly what the client is saying. You'll be better able to navigate the situation and handle objections when you listen intently.

Example

Prospect: "We’re hesitant to switch to a new system because we’ve already invested so much time and money into our current CRM, even though it’s causing some issues."

(Instead of thinking ahead to your pitch, you focus on their hesitation.)

You: "It sounds like you’re worried about the cost of transitioning and the time it might take to train your team. Is that right?"

Prospect: "Exactly. We just don’t want to go through the hassle again."

You: "That makes sense. What if I could show you how our onboarding process simplifies that and actually saves you time compared to what you’re using now?"

Benefits

• Prevents you from missing important information while you’re thinking of your next point.
• Ensures you won’t be caught off guard by questions or objection responses.

Slow Down

It’s okay to pump the brakes a little, and slow down the pace of your call—especially when you've got someone who's talking. Rather than moving the call prematurely to a closing stage or focusing too quickly on the call to action you have in mind, let it arrive organically.

Example

Prospect: "We’ve got a team of 15, and they’re all working remotely. Managing their schedules has been a challenge."

(Instead of jumping to pitch your scheduling tool right away, take your time.)

You: "That’s something I hear a lot from remote teams. Tell me more about the specific challenges you’re seeing. Is it more about syncing availability, or is communication becoming difficult as well?"

Prospect: "It’s both, really. Sometimes people are double-booked without realizing, and other times, important calls get missed because no one knows who’s available."

You: "I see. We can definitely help with that. Let me walk you through a feature that could help simplify that process for you."

Benefits

• You may make it through fewer calls, but they'll be of higher quality.
• You'll also build stronger rapport with your prospects, because they’ll feel more valued if you take a bit more time with them.
• People tend to hang on your words more when you tease things out a bit—so don’t be afraid to slow down the pace of your speech a little as well!

What They Don’t Say Matters Just As Much

One of the hardest parts of active listening is picking up on nonverbal communication signs. This is especially true if you’re outbound calling, because you can’t actually see the person's body language.

Still, the pace of conversation and tone of voice convey a lot.

Be cognizant not only of what your prospect is saying, but how they're saying it, and adjust what you say (and how you say it) accordingly.

Your prospect's confidence and comfort level correlate highly with the outcome of the call, so learn when to adjust and go "off script."

Example

Prospect: "Yeah, I’m kind of interested, but I’m not sure."

(You notice their voice is hesitant and lacking enthusiasm.)

You: "It sounds like you’re not completely convinced. Is there something specific that’s holding you back?"

Prospect: "Well, I’m worried about how easy it will be to train my team on a new platform. They’re pretty set in their ways."

You: "I understand that concern. We actually offer a very intuitive system with full support and training resources to make the transition smooth. Let me show you how simple it can be."

Benefits

• Helps you identify hidden concerns or objections that your prospect hasn’t directly stated.
• Allows you to adjust your messaging to align with their level of comfort or hesitation.

Avoid Unnecessary Disagreement

Your client may say things during your meeting that you do not agree with (or that you know to be incorrect). Avoid interrupting them to set the record straight unless it's vital to closing the deal.

Related: How to Deal With Angry Customers on the Phone

Your prospect may be wrong about some details, but they're never wrong about what they want and what they need. So keep listening, and stay focused on how you can be a solution to the problems they’re experiencing.

Example

Prospect: "I’ve heard that using this kind of software can make things more complicated rather than simplifying them."

(Instead of disagreeing outright, acknowledge their concerns.)

You: "I’ve heard that concern before. It’s definitely a valid worry. But let me walk you through how our platform is specifically designed to be user-friendly and customizable so it fits your team’s workflow seamlessly."

Prospect: "Okay, I’d like to see that."

You: "Great! Let’s start with the feature that will help you streamline your workflow without adding complexity."

Benefits

• Keeps the conversation constructive and focused on problem-solving rather than correcting the prospect.
• Ensures you maintain rapport and avoid unnecessary tension that could stall the sale.

Go From "Yes" to "Yes, and..."

Active listening doesn’t mean you should just listen, and nod and say "yeah" or "right" in agreement. People tend to stop talking when their audience is just nodding in gentle agreement.

The “Yes and” principle, a common improv technique, helps to carry a conversation forward by not only agreeing but building on the point. In sales, this extra detail shows greater interest, understanding, and relating to what your prospect is saying.

Not only is this good for building relationships, it also keeps your sales message directly tied to the needs and experience of the person you're talking to.

Related: Make the Sale: How to Prime Prospects with the "Yes" Ladder

Example

Prospect: "We’re struggling to manage our call volume efficiently."

You: "Yes, and that’s where our automation tools can really make a difference. We can help you prioritize high-value leads while reducing time spent on less valuable ones. Let me show you how."

Benefits

• Builds rapport and keeps the conversation moving forward by adding value to the prospect’s statements.
• Shows you’re not just passively agreeing but actively contributing to the conversation.

Set Yourself Up for Better Conversations with Prospects

Much time is spent thinking about what salespeople should say when they sell. But being a good listener is equally important... and should have as much influence on what you say as any script.

It’s also important to use tools that put you in a strong position to really listen to your prospect. Making sure your calls connect and that you have clear, reliable audio on either end means you spend more time listening to your prospects in real-time and can pay attention to every nuance they express.

PhoneBurner can help you reach up to 4x as many contacts per hour, avoid spam flags, and provide crystal clear audio on your calls. Start your free trial today to see firsthand how it can work for you.