Sales Question Provide The Answer
Sales Questions? Why should you worry about sales questions? All you want to do is tell them what you have, come up with a decent close, and they should buy. Well, it’s not that simple. If that were all it took, every salesperson would be successful.
Think about it. Your job is to meet with a stranger and convince them to reach into their pocket and hand you money in a limited amount of time. How do you accomplish that? How do you get someone to want what you have to sell? The short answer is you ask them, and they will tell you how. The only one that knows what it takes to sell the prospect is the prospect.
I was on a call with a salesman in San Diego. We met with a client that was showing renewed interest in our product. When we sat down, his first words were, “Ok, tell me why I should be using your product.”
Have you ever heard that? How would you respond? Most salespeople make the mistake of actually trying to tell them why. The reality is that you don’t know why they should use your product. Don’t tell them; ask them. One way to handle this is one might be to respond with something like:
““I can’t tell you why you should use this product. Most businesses add it because of the exceptional margins. What were you looking for when you saw its capabilities and its ability to generate revenue? Better yet, what were you thinking about when you decided to meet with us today?”
This simple question turned the tables on the entire sales conversation. By using a statement with a question, you move from defense to offense.
“What YOU tell them, they tend to doubt. What the PROSPECT tells you, they tend to believe.”
Only the prospect knows why they will buy, and it’s your job to get them to tell you. That’s why you need to learn how to ask sales questions. If you have time, you might want to listen to a podcast it did. “Asking The Right Sales Questions Can Lead to Sales Success.” This will give you an excellent introduction to asking questions.
You Don’t Know If You Don’t Ask Sales Questions
If you don’t use questions, how do you know?
- What does your prospect need to make the buying decision?
- What’s most important to them?
- Will the prospect decide on price, features, benefits, your relationship, or something else?
- Are they the sole decision maker or are others involved in the buying process? The short answer is that you don’t know if you don’t use sales questions.
In Sales, Questions Help You Solve Their Problems
Most people think of a salesperson as the one that can talk their way through any situation. That’s not exactly true. The most successful salespeople are the ones that use sales questions to understand the needs of the prospect. Only when the salesperson understands the prospect’s needs can they solve the problem and win the sale. When you use sales questions, you learn what challenges the prospect is facing. The challenges that they are trying to solve with this purchase.
Use Sales Questions to Learn Why They Will Buy?
Have you ever heard a prospect say, “I’m just looking?” When they say that, it’s true. They are looking for someone to help them make the buying decision. They are looking for someone to help them solve a problem.
In some cases, the prospect understands their problem. They only need to find a way to solve that problem. If the prospect already knows what they need to solve the problem, they don’t need you.
Most of the time, people need help to find the right solution. That’s where the salesperson comes in. Many people who know what they need go to the Internet or call their supplier and place an order. When they need help, they call in a salesman.
Sales Questions Have A Place In Every Part Of The Sales Process
It’s critical that you need to ask sales questions at every stage of the sales process:
- In the warm-up, you use sales questions to get the prospect to relax and open up.
- In the needs analysis, you will use open-ended sales questions to have them explain their challenges. That tells you what you need to do.
- In the demonstration, you need to use alternate-of-choice sales questions to ensure they see value in each of your benefits.
- In the pre-close, you can use tie-down sales questions as test closes.
- In the close, you can use tie-downs and alternate-of-choice sales questions to funnel them down to the final decision.
Want to create more business? Then stop telling and start asking. The use of sales questions is an important skill every salesperson should master. Start using more questions, and you will be surprised at the results.
Related Blog Post
We have published several articles related to using questions in the sales process that may be of interest. Just follow the links below, enjoy.
Five Reasons Why You Need To Use Sales Questions
Open-Ended Questions Give You The Information You Need To Make The Sale
Alternate of Choice, The First Closed-Ended Questions
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