IT was at my cousin’s office years ago that I met him. He was, according to my cousin, a star salesman, “Hear him Bob,” said my cousin, “He has the gift of the gab!” Which meant he could talk fast and easily as words came out of his mouth faster than a speeding race car. But my cousin fired him in a month. “I don’t know what was wrong,” he said, “He had the gift of the gab, yet he failed to make a sale!”

I worked as a salesman during that time, for my dad, and as I studied sales, I could have told my cousin that being a great talker didn’t make you a great salesman, but being an intent listener did. What........

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