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How To Politely Interrupt the Conversation?

I face many situations where the recipient is talking too much and straying away from the main focus. I understand that it's good to let the other person elaborate about their own interests and passions (Remember How to Win Friends and Influence People). However, I find it a huge time waster, given the quota to achieve (and let's be honest, the ultimate objective is always to close the sale).

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Judith’s Answer

Interrupting someone to redirect the conversation back on-topic can be difficult. Your timing must be right, or you can offend the other person. It's best to be polite. You could state something such as "I'm sorry to interrupt but..." or "I apologize but I have to cut this short...". Another avenue is to ask a question, "Sorry for the interruption, but I want to make sure that I understand." One of my personal favorites is if the individual is telling an off-topic personal story is to say, "That is very interesting and quite an experience I'd love to hear more about it another time." The goal is to have the person feel heard and appreciated while still covering the topics that you need to discuss.
Thank you comment icon Nice piece of advice! Sofia Taveira
Thank you comment icon Hi Judith, thank you for the answer! Human relations is an art indeed. I liked the part about saying that the person "views are interesting that I'd love to hear another time". Yew Kin
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Greta’s Answer

Sometimes in sales letting the customer talk may seem like it’s wasting time, however, you could potentially learn something that could help you close the business or provide opportunity for another close in the future. One way of making sure your objectives are covered in a conversation is by sending an agenda beforehand. This way if the other person starts to bring up something that is not on the agenda, you can acknowledge it and ask that you set another meeting to discuss those items so that you can stick to the agenda for your current conversation. Making sure they feel heard and acknowledged is polite and you can still get back on topic.
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Anne’s Answer

This is a great question, and I have unfortunately had to deal with this many times during interviews with people. To answer it, you need to be considering a few different angles:

If it's a person at a higher level than you- let them talk for as long as they want. The more they're talking to you, the more they must like you- so you probably want to foster that relationship.

If it's a person at an equaly level to you- sometimes interupting them with a question regarding the topic you're on will show that you're more engaged in the conversation. The tricky part is to ask a question that will result in a shorter answer.
If you know this person is a bit sensitive about being interupted or talked over, you have to find a break where they catch a breath, and take control of the conversation. The best way to control the conversation is by asking questions.

If it's a person at a lesser level than you- interrupt them and tell them they're getting off topic. They need to know, and if you're at a higher level, you should be providing that coaching.
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Deborah D.’s Answer

What stood out to me about your question was your comment; "I face many situations where the recipient is talking too much and straying away from the main focus"
The situation and the recipient make all the difference as to how much you let them talk, but either way you still have to listen in order to get a word in edgewise.
Perhaps you tag on to a comment and find a way to bring the conversation back around, as in; 'Speaking of that' or 'Now that you mention that'

If it is a professional exchange, of course you let the boss talk.
You described the other party as a recipient. Recipient of what? i s this a customer?

Don't anticipate that the conversation will be a problem before it even starts. If possible take a minute to breath while you listen.
You never know, you just might hear something you might not have been privy to otherwise
Wishing you munch success
Thank you comment icon Hi Deborah, thanks for the advise on bringing the conversation back around to its intended purpose :) Yew Kin
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Anthony’s Answer

Hello Yew! I am happy to try and help with your question. In my experience, I have seen that you just have to look for the right time to jump into the conversation. You will have to be direct about it and try to catch the person at the end of the comment, but this seems to be the best way. It can also help you come off less offensive if you can finds ways to relate your next question or comment to what they were saying to show them that you were in fact listening to what they are saying.
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Patrick’s Answer

Communication is an art more than a science. Most people like to be heard. Listen to what they are saying, find the opportunity to agree or relate to what they are talking about then use this opportunity to ask your question. Ask a question that requires an answer, not an open ended question. Ask someone to make a choice and not just a yes or no answer.
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Ali’s Answer

In a virtual environment, you can always hang up and blame an internet issue. Then start up the conversation with a leg-up!
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Jeffery’s Answer

Hi, that is a challenge no doubt! My rule of thumb is never interrupt when you are talking to a customer or perspective customer. Be silent and listen. Listening is the key to sales. There is a saying that goes "nobody cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care." To me this means that you have to show that you care and you do that by listening and asking questions. While a customer is talking, or venting, listen and jot down notes. Your time will come to give your side of the story, and pitch and present. People you speak with will appreciate that quality!

Jeffery recommends the following next steps:

Great book to read- Sell with a Story by Paul Smith. Check it out.
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Holly’s Answer

I agree with a lot of the other advice in the other answers - I think one thing that is very important to do is to ensure you are still listening to what the person is saying while they are going off topic, because then it is a bit easier to steer the conversation back on track. For example, you can say "Oh yes, I agree xxx is hard/easy/interesting, thank you for sharing that. I know we're short on time so I want to make sure we dive into xyz (whatever it is you are trying to sell them". That way it is clear to the person that you were listening to them vs just thinking about how to sell them and they will be more inclined to keep talking.
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Anna’s Answer

People like to buy from people they like. What seems like a time-waster can actually be a needle-mover. The good news is, if they are talking that much, usually that means they like you enough to keep a conversation going!

I find that it helps to steer conversation. If the conversation starts veering to the wayside, be personable and politely address by their name (e.g. “Yew Kin, you mentioned you only have x amount of time aside for this meeting and in the interest of time, how about we return to the topic at hand? We can table the rest for a follow up.”) Usually they will be pretty receptive to that. It helps to frame it in a way that they benefit.
Thank you comment icon Hi Anna, thanks for the tips! Learnt that it's important to let the other person know that I am respecting their time :) Yew Kin
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Sonia’s Answer

Sometimes it can be really hard to not show your frustration - but learning how to control this is one of the most important things in business today.

Some tips that really help me:

- spend time setting up a conversation to be successful. Every minute you spend doing this will be rewarded. This should include having an agenda and agreeing this up front. That way everyone is brought in to how the conversation will flow.
- get comfortable with being uncomfortable - this means that things wont always go to your plan - and that is great because it is often where the magic can happen. Learn to be patient and accept that other people have different styles and needs.

Good luck - and learning this now will pay you back quickly!!
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Ryan’s Answer

When a customer takes over and continues to go off topic, you have to remember that both of your time is valuable. What I like to say is, this is something we can definitely look into. I have a few more things we need to discuss and then I am more than happy to address any additional questions you may have due to time.
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Harrison’s Answer

This is a great question. Passively directing the conversation so it stays as pertinent as possible is not easy, and is something that comes with time and experience over anything else. In my experience, timing is the most critical thing. Allowing the person to have a tangential conversation can be beneficial to building up trust and a relationship, which can be very important later on. A great way strategy that I employ is to repeat some of what they are saying, to show that you were listening and then direct the customer in the direction you thing is more beneficial. It takes practice but don't be afraid to make mistakes, that's a great way to learn!
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john’s Answer

just say excuse me i dont mean to be rude. Wait for a pause.
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Andrew’s Answer

A simple tip that I learned is to start softly saying "yeah", "yes", "uh huh." This signals to the speaker that you have something you'd like to say and allows them to finish their thought.
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Doug’s Answer

You can pause the conversation by repeating back what they are saying and making sure you understand their needs and then shifting the conversation from there.

This allows you to not interrupt rudely, but to clarify and then ask your own question to steer the conversation back on track
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Heather’s Answer

Timing is everything! Yes, you want to connect with the customer and may want to allow for that the next time you have a conversation. If the timing is off, then try this. “(Customer), sorry to interrupt but I only have (__ ) minutes left before I have to start on (_________) and I’d like to make sure we are on task for the (______).” Would you like me to (_____) or (______), so we can finish discussing how to (______)? Do not pause in your sentence and say it in less than 10 seconds. The choices you mentioned can be calling back at a later time and giving them what date and time options.
If that’s not the style you’d prefer then set up another time to discuss product. Sometimes it is important to set the exception of the value of your time, especially if the sale has to be broken down in project management format (timeline).