“Women like silent men. They think they’re listening,” quipped French playwright Marcel Achard.

I think women are not alone. As consumers we are rarely listened to by salespeople. Too often we are steamrolled by pitches designed to address all sales objections, not cater to our specific needs. As a result we have a natural aversion to these sales pitches. They seem impersonal and manipulative.

Perhaps that’s why the most successful sales people I know are also the best listeners. They start conversations with questions and tailor their sales pitch to their client’s responses.

It also tends to help them when negotiating on behalf of their clients, as I was reminded by Raisin Bran Crunch’s infamous commercial: