{mosimage}I've always said that the number one skill of a Top 20% producer is his or her ability to listen. Your prospect or client has their own reasons for needing or buying your product or service, but unless you ask questions and shut up and listen, you'll never know what they are.  And in today's economy, knowing how to keep your prospect talking is more important than ever.

A Top 20% closer is an expert at asking questions, layering those questions, questioning the red flags, etc., and at the end of a prospecting call or presentation, they call can tell you exactly where the prospect stands.

The key here is to listen by keeping your prospect talking. Here are five statements you should begin using today to help keep your prospect talking:

#1 "Tell me more." Simple, eh? Yes, but hard to do. 80% of your competition would prefer to pitch, but a Top 20% closer would prefer to listen. Use "tell me more" to encourage this.

#2 "Go on." After a prospect appears done, simply say, "Go on," to keep them talking.

#3 "What happens next?" This is a great question to use to discover more about the decision process.

#4 "What would you ideally like to have happen?" This is a great way to discover your prospect's buying motives.

#5 "Oh?" Phrased the right way, this open-ended word can get your prospect to reveal much more than you might think.

There you have it. Five simple ways to keep your prospect talking. Now, see if you can use them to keep yourself from talking!

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