Effective communication is one of the most important parts of sales training. You need to be able to speak with your prospect, not only to get them to trust and believe in you, but also to help you gain more information about them and their needs.

Did you know that there is one statement that is powerful, research-backed, and proven to build trust? This statement gets a prospect to share more information than they may have previously been prepared to share and keeps them laser-focused on the area of intelligence gathering you want to focus on. It does this all while making them feel more in control and validated during the sales process.

And most sales people never say it.

With a slight adjustment, I have found this to be the most effective statement I could ever say to get a prospect back on track if they begin to wander off topic. This one statement is taught in every serious sales training course and is used by psychologists, researchers, and lawyers who specialize in cross-examination. The Harvard Business Review often cites this type of statement as the most effective way to enhance communication and foster stronger relationships

I think you have to admit that these are a lot of benefits, especially since it’s one simple five-word statement.

Can you guess what it is?

“Tell me more about that.”

That’s it. So simple, but so incredibly effective.

It’s also a multi-purpose statement:

• If your prospect is off topic when telling a story, it functions as polite interruption. It’s all you need to say to bring them right back to the topic you want to focus on, without breaking rapport.
• Asking your prospect to tell you more will often have them reveal more information than they had planned.
• It can also be a wonderful tool to get them to anchor their unhappiness with their current provider, without you having to kick them around or bad mouth them.

So, when Mary says they have had some issues recently with the current system, I can say “Tell me more about that.”

Mary will almost always give me the very specific pain points and failures of their current provider. Now I can use that later in the conversation to create urgency for her to change.

A lot of salespeople overcomplicate things. This statement is just one of those super simple language patterns that makes your job so much easier.

Remember, as I always say, experience is your best teacher. So give this statement a try today on one or two of your calls. Really pay attention to how much more information you get and how much more in rapport you develop. It’s one of those sales tips that can truly work wonders.