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Are You Asking the Right Questions to Increase Your Sales?

Written by: Cheryl A. Clausen

Article Overview: The right questions probably aren't the questions you’re using now. Do you and your prospects feel uncomfortable with the questions you're asking?

Are You Asking the Right Questions to Increase Your Sales?

The right questions probably aren't the questions you’re using now. Do you and your prospects feel uncomfortable with the questions you're asking? When you ask a question and your prospect stutters and stammers around almost squirming in their chair you have a clear signal you’ve asked a poor question.

When you ask a good question the prospect will often comment, “that’s a great question”. The prospect will engage and actively think about the question before thoughtfully responding. They will not only answer the question, they’ll tell you a little more.

When your questions get that kind of a reaction you know you have a good question. But you may not understand why it was a good question. It’s a good question when: it demonstrates you understand the prospect and what they want, it hits a nerve with something they really want and are frustrated about because they aren’t sure how to get it themselves, it helps them envision a future they want, it helps them clarify what’s keeping them from having it now, it helps them explore how not having whatever it is they want is impacting their life, and it helps them articulate the real value of what they want.

Obviously you can’t do all that with one question. But one question can get the client to open up and really talk to you allowing you to engage them in a conversation that leads to a cascade of questions. Each question makes logical sense and follows with what the prospect has just told you.

Your great questions will separate you from your competition. As you ask questions and the prospect responds they’ll start to feel very comfortable with you, and they’ll feel like you understand them better than anyone they’ve ever talked to before. Part of the value of sales coaching comes from helping you learn how to hold sales appointments that feel like great conversations and result in increased sales.


Part of the power of the right questions is in how well you listen to what the prospect says. Nothing angers a prospect more or causes them to reject you quicker than when you ask a question that doesn’t have relevance to what they’ve just said. When you do that the prospect feels disrespected, and they feel like they’re being sold.

No one likes to be sold. In fact, people hate to be sold. But everyone loves to buy. And prospects buy with enthusiasm and conviction when what they want can be provided by someone they trust.

The easiest way to garner trust is to ask great questions and listen. In reality it just doesn’t get any easier than this. Yet most sales people completely blow it because they think they have to use and follow a presentation that disrespects the prospect and their interests. Plus they talk way too much.

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Article Tags: angers, appointments, cascade, clear signal, conversations, good question, increased sales, logical sense, nerve, prospects, sales coaching, stutters



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