Sales Effectiveness: The Chemistry of Questions

Sales Effectiveness: The chemistry of questions

As most seasoned salespeople can tell you, the first issue is never the real issue.

When you learn to ask better questions, you get in touch with your genuine sense of curiosity. Your goal is to ask questions that will uncover valuable data AND not sound like every other salesperson's “stock” questions!

The answers you get are only going to be as good as the questions you ask.

I was in a sales call one time and this guy asked the client “What would you change if you had 30 days to make a difference and a magic wand you could wave over your business?” The look on the clients face was the famous “my wheels are turning because no one has asked me this before” look!

Now, you’ve left the realm of a routine sales call and you’ve embarked on a real discussion on matters that matter to your prospect.

Here is a list of questions. Go through the list and ask your self- “have I ever asked these before?”

•What are the biggest challenges you are facing right now?
•What one thing would change your business dramatically if you could do it?
•What has been your biggest breakthrough in the last few years?
•What do you want your business to be known for?
•What is important to you?
•What are you looking for that you haven’t found?


One last comment: these are not the best possible questions for you to use.

Why?

Because the best possible questions for you to use will come from... YOU!

Part of my sale effectiveness seminars involve creating customized questions – customized for your industry, your prospects, your personality, your experience, your sales cycle, and your personal preferences.

There is nothing worse than watching someone who leaves a sales course, memorizes 10 questions that the trainer said were the “best” questions to ask, and then watch that hapless salesperson get eaten alive on their next sales call, simply because they’re faking their way through someone else’s “system”!