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Doodles. Gosh you hate doodles.

And as you're speaking to a client, they're doodling away. Random, scribbly drawings on a sheet of paper are causing you to get more hassled by the second. Because somehow, it seems like your client really isn't paying attention.

And this lack of attention might cost you the sale. Aaaaaaaaarghhhh!

So how do you bring your client back from la-la land? And what do you need to do in the first place that would keep the client from drifting off a squillion miles away?

Ever visited a doctor?  You're sitting at the doctor's clinic and notice who's doing all the talking. Why, goodness gracious, it's you. If you notice carefully, the doctor isn't saying much. All she seems to do, is ask you a whole bunch of questions.

Questions are a control mechanism  
The one who asks the questions, controls the situation. So if you want your client to pay attention, it would be logical to ask the clients all the questions, right?  Right, but you're jumping the gun.  Before you start playing doctor, doctor, let the client do the questioning first. When you meet a client always let them ask the first questions.

The client wants control
Give him the control. He'll ask you to tell him about your business. Or he'll ask you some other question, but be sure that the client will be first off the block with the questions. And you'd better not interrupt. Not just yet!  It's vital that a client speaks first!

Luckily, clients usually speak first because they have questions to ask. And make sure you take between 5-7 minutes to answer the initial questions.

Bing! Your 5-7 Minutes Are Up! 
So you've answered a few questions. You've done your good deed for the day. Don't sit there waiting for more questions to be sent your way.  It's time to take control. Put your doctor coat and fire away.  Ask the questions, then clamp up. Stop your yakkity yak, ask the questions and then start listening.  And the only way you can do that is to have a series of questions that you have prepared in advance. Your biggest mission in a meeting should be to ask dozens of questions.

Questioning is sales ping pong
Hit the ball on your table, not some other table.  And there's a solid reasoning why you need to play this ping pong. The human brain can process about 500 words a minute. You can only speak at 200 or so. So the client has '300 words' to think about lunch, his wine cellar, that magazine he wants to buy, his tax return etc, and other thoughts that can't be printed.

When he's speaking, he can only focus on what he's saying. So he speaks. You listen. You take notes.

Notes? Why take notes?  
Oooh, good question! You take notes because of a couple of reasons. Your memory isn't what it used to be, so yeah, some of the important facts are going to pass you like that proverbial ship in the night, if you don't jot down the information. That's reason No.1

Reason No.2 is that clients feel a whole lot better when you're taking notes. It means you're paying attention to what the client is saying. And lordy mama, don't we all love attention?