Active listening in sales

The principle. Active listening makes the buyer feel understood. People who feel understood lower their guard, share more, and are dramatically more likely to buy.

The 4-step active listening loop.

1. Listen fully — phone face-down, eyes engaged.
2. Reflect — repeat back the gist in their language. "So the install crew is the bottleneck — that's where time slips."
3. Label the emotion — "Sounds frustrating." Voss's tactical empathy.
4. Confirm — "Did I get that right?"

The hardest part. Resisting the urge to fix before they finish. Most reps interrupt with the solution at minute 3. Wait until minute 8 — the real pain almost never surfaces in the first 3 minutes.

Key takeaway. Reflect, label, confirm — then respond. Skipping any step makes the buyer feel sold-to, not heard.