The Power of Asking Questions: 7 Strategies to Discovering What Your Prospects Really Need
The Power of Asking Questions: 7 Strategies to Discovering What Your Prospects Really Need
What this means is that anything you can do to differentiate yourself from the crowd is a "Very Good Thing." Being different gives you an edge over the masses. On the other hand, being different invariably costs money.
Or maybe not. You can differentiate yourself effectively by embracing the ‘power of questions.' Having a team that can ask the right people, the right questions, at the right time, is the single most cost effective thing you can do to guarantee fantastic show results.
Very few people know how to ask effective, powerful questions, and quite frankly, those who do, tend not to wind up working the show floor. Luckily, asking great questions is a skill that can be taught to those who don't already have it. If you're like me, and weren't born with that great skill, here are seven strategies your team can start using today to make themselves better exhibitors:
Strategy #1: Listen
The best questions begin in silence. Train your people to embrace the 80/20 rule -- they should be listening 80% of the time. Listening is more than not talking. It's an opportunity to focus on the information the visitor is providing. The data they're sharing is invaluable and helps frame more appropriate questions throughout the conversation. For sales people in particular, listening is a real challenge. Yet, if they conquer and embrace this skill, they could easily boost their performance in flash!
Strategy #2: Determine Identities Quickly
One of the first questions your team should ask is some variation of "Who are you and what do you do?" Never, ever rely on badges. People can easily swap them. This is probably the most commonly used competitive intelligence gathering strategy.
You want to determine identity quickly for a number of reasons, but the primary one is this: Knowing who you're talking to allows you to deliver information in the most appropriate fashion: a buyer for a powerful chain is a very different attendee than an intern at a friendly competitor!
Strategy #3: Ask Open Ended Questions
The first question you ask a booth visitor should never be one that they can answer with a simple "Yes" or "No." This is an easy way to give them permission to end the conversation quickly. Known as "closed questions, "Yes" or "No" answers, don't usually help you to understand your visitor's needs. The better alternative is to focus on questions that invite attendees to tell you more about themselves, their challenges or their particular situations (their stories). These include questions such as:
- What are you doing about X?
- How do you handle X?
- When do you need X?
Strategy #4: Follow Up With a Relevant Question
When a visitor spends time telling you their story about a particular situation or challenge, your very next question must relate to what they've just told you. This then demonstrates that you're actually listening, and care about what they have to say. Failing to do this is likely to damage, if not destroy any credibility you may have established throughout the conversation so far.
Since this is such a common mistake exhibitors make, it's well worth having your team practice this skill in pre-show role-playing exercises. Have them work at this until it's automatic and starts to feels completely natural to them.
Strategy #5: Compliment Them
If you find yourself with a visitor who's somewhat reluctant to talk about their situation, try complimenting them. It's a subtle yet powerful way to stroke their ego. A simple "I'd really like to know what you think about X," or "What's your opinion on Y" will often get people talking, especially those individuals who love to show off their knowledge. I'm sure you know the type! Remember that everyone likes to be valued and recognized.
Be careful with this. You always want to appear genuine, without seeming to fawn over your visitors.
Strategy #6: Get Off Topic
Exhibiting is not just about making those immediate sales. There's far more that goes on with your booth visitor. Building long-lasting, profitable relationships is key! To do this effectively, you may need to take the conversation ‘off-topic.' Don't be afraid to use questions to do this. Ask questions that allow you to get to know the visitor better. This can be as simple as "Where are you from?" Look to visual cues -- clothing, jewelry, pin, etc. – anything that allows you to go further conversationally and further reinforce the relationship. It's only when you start asking
Strategy #7: Go After Low Lying Fruit
Visitors often indicate, often unconsciously, what they want to talk about. If they mention a subject repeatedly, or devote considerable time in one particular area, that's a pretty good clue to let you know that this topic is important to them. Yet many times, either exhibitors don't hear what's being said, because they're tuned into their own mind or, they might ‘shy away' from a topic because it's sensitive, or something they just don't know about. They might avoid the latter not to show their ignorance.
Speaking from experience, that's not a good, solid plan of action. What's it says to the visitor is that "you're just not interested" in them or their situation. It takes courage to ‘grab the bull by the horns' and frame questions directly around that topic, inviting visitors to elaborate further.
For example, "You seem to have concerns about our widget's durability. Could you tell me what's troubling you?" Addressing these concerns head on is the best way to build a prospect's confidence in your products and services.
Asking questions is only half the battle. The other half of the equation concerns what you do with the answers they give you. If your team asks great questions, listens to the answers, and then responds with the standard boilerplate one-size-fits-all answer, you've accomplished nothing.
Instead, answers must be customized on the spot – responsive, not only, to the client's needs, but also to the tone and timing of the conversation.
Brief your people on the need to take things further than just the familiar and often, boring, sales pitch. Keeping the focus on relationship building and the lifetime value of the customer helps make this easier and takes a lot of pressure off of your team. It's far easier to concentrate on having a meaningful, value-laden exchange if your team knows this isn't their only chance at bat. With any luck, this is just the beginning. They'll be asking your customers questions for years to come!
The Power of Asking Questions 7 Strategies to Discovering What Your Prospects Really Need - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Friedmann's Website.
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Make no mistake -- you're in a rough spot. Exhibiting is a competitive environment. You're vying for attendee's attention, against companies that are larger, better-funded, with newer exhibits and cooler ideas than you've got.
What this means is that anything you can do to differentiate yourself from the crowd is a "Very Good Thing." Being different gives you an edge over the masses. On the other hand, being different invariably costs money.
Or maybe not. You can differentiate yourself effectively by embracing the ‘power of questions.' Having a team that can ask the right people, the right questions, at the right time, is the single most cost effective thing you can do to guarantee fantastic show results.
Very few people know how to ask effective, powerful questions, and quite frankly, those who do, tend not to wind up working the show floor. Luckily, asking great questions is a skill that can be taught to those who don't already have it. If you're like me, and weren't born with that great skill, here are seven strategies your team can start using today to make themselves better exhibitors:
Strategy #1: Listen
The best questions begin in silence. Train your people to embrace the 80/20 rule -- they should be listening 80% of the time. Listening is more than not talking. It's an opportunity to focus on the information the visitor is providing. The data they're sharing is invaluable and helps frame more appropriate questions throughout the conversation. For sales people in particular, listening is a real challenge. Yet, if they conquer and embrace this skill, they could easily boost their performance in flash!
Strategy #2: Determine Identities Quickly
One of the first questions your team should ask is some variation of "Who are you and what do you do?" Never, ever rely on badges. People can easily swap them. This is probably the most commonly used competitive intelligence gathering strategy.
You want to determine identity quickly for a number of reasons, but the primary one is this: Knowing who you're talking to allows you to deliver information in the most appropriate fashion: a buyer for a powerful chain is a very different attendee than an intern at a friendly competitor!
Strategy #3: Ask Open Ended Questions
The first question you ask a booth visitor should never be one that they can answer with a simple "Yes" or "No." This is an easy way to give them permission to end the conversation quickly. Known as "closed questions, "Yes" or "No" answers, don't usually help you to understand your visitor's needs. The better alternative is to focus on questions that invite attendees to tell you more about themselves, their challenges or their particular situations (their stories). These include questions such as:
- What are you doing about X?
- How do you handle X?
- When do you need X?
Strategy #4: Follow Up With a Relevant Question
When a visitor spends time telling you their story about a particular situation or challenge, your very next question must relate to what they've just told you. This then demonstrates that you're actually listening, and care about what they have to say. Failing to do this is likely to damage, if not destroy any credibility you may have established throughout the conversation so far.
Since this is such a common mistake exhibitors make, it's well worth having your team practice this skill in pre-show role-playing exercises. Have them work at this until it's automatic and starts to feels completely natural to them.
Strategy #5: Compliment Them
If you find yourself with a visitor who's somewhat reluctant to talk about their situation, try complimenting them. It's a subtle yet powerful way to stroke their ego. A simple "I'd really like to know what you think about X," or "What's your opinion on Y" will often get people talking, especially those individuals who love to show off their knowledge. I'm sure you know the type! Remember that everyone likes to be valued and recognized.
Be careful with this. You always want to appear genuine, without seeming to fawn over your visitors.
Strategy #6: Get Off Topic
Exhibiting is not just about making those immediate sales. There's far more that goes on with your booth visitor. Building long-lasting, profitable relationships is key! To do this effectively, you may need to take the conversation ‘off-topic.' Don't be afraid to use questions to do this. Ask questions that allow you to get to know the visitor better. This can be as simple as "Where are you from?" Look to visual cues -- clothing, jewelry, pin, etc. – anything that allows you to go further conversationally and further reinforce the relationship. It's only when you start asking
Strategy #7: Go After Low Lying Fruit
Visitors often indicate, often unconsciously, what they want to talk about. If they mention a subject repeatedly, or devote considerable time in one particular area, that's a pretty good clue to let you know that this topic is important to them. Yet many times, either exhibitors don't hear what's being said, because they're tuned into their own mind or, they might ‘shy away' from a topic because it's sensitive, or something they just don't know about. They might avoid the latter not to show their ignorance.
Speaking from experience, that's not a good, solid plan of action. What's it says to the visitor is that "you're just not interested" in them or their situation. It takes courage to ‘grab the bull by the horns' and frame questions directly around that topic, inviting visitors to elaborate further.
For example, "You seem to have concerns about our widget's durability. Could you tell me what's troubling you?" Addressing these concerns head on is the best way to build a prospect's confidence in your products and services.
Asking questions is only half the battle. The other half of the equation concerns what you do with the answers they give you. If your team asks great questions, listens to the answers, and then responds with the standard boilerplate one-size-fits-all answer, you've accomplished nothing.
Instead, answers must be customized on the spot – responsive, not only, to the client's needs, but also to the tone and timing of the conversation.
Brief your people on the need to take things further than just the familiar and often, boring, sales pitch. Keeping the focus on relationship building and the lifetime value of the customer helps make this easier and takes a lot of pressure off of your team. It's far easier to concentrate on having a meaningful, value-laden exchange if your team knows this isn't their only chance at bat. With any luck, this is just the beginning. They'll be asking your customers questions for years to come!
The Power of Asking Questions 7 Strategies to Discovering What Your Prospects Really Need - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Friedmann's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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