TOEFL Speaking Task 4 Practice Test #19

Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture from a Business class.

Professor: All right, so, um, a good salesperson needs to know how to talk to customers effectively. Sometimes customers looking to buy products will raise concerns, things that may be keeping them from buying the product. And salespeople stand a much better chance of selling their products, if they can effectively address these concerns. Let’s look at a couple of strategies they use to address customers’ concerns. OK, now one strategy is to point out something special about the product, something that outweighs the customers’ concern, like a special feature. Like, say, a customer’s in an electronics store, and a salesperson’s showing her a portable laptop computer. The customer expresses a concern, saying the computer’s expensive. Well, that’s true, but the salesperson can provide information to outweigh the concern about the price, by pointing out how fast the computer is, how much work it can get done in a short time. This special feature may outweigh the customers’ concern, convince her that it’s worth the price, so she’s more likely to buy it. Now another strategy is to demonstrate something about the product, actually use the product in front of the customer in response to a concern. Going back to the electronics store example, say the customer raises concerns about whether the laptop is portable enough, that it looks like it would be difficult to pack up and carry. Well, the salesperson could address this concern by unplugging the computer, putting it into its carrying case and slinging it over his shoulder, right in front of the customer. That is, he can demonstrate how easy it is to transport. This demonstration may help eliminate the customers’ concerns about buying the computer.