Are you asking questions that make your customers & prospects THINK?
Are you asking questions that make your customers & prospects THINK?
Great questioning techniques focus on uncovering problems, challenges or frustrations that a business may be experiencing. More often than not your prospects may not actually realize the full extent of these problems until you start questioning and asking about them.
Most importantly, when you ask great questions it can help you to win new business much quicker and with fewer objections. When we help prospects to think about the needs of their business and to really think about current or potential problems or challenges they may face, they start to see us differently and understand the value we can add to them or their business.
There are 2 common types of questions you can ask: ‘open’ questions and ‘closed’ questions
1. Open questions usually result in longer answers and are aimed at getting your prospects to think about the answer.
For example: “What plans does the organisation have to achieve…..”
2. Closed questions can be answered with a yes, no or one word and are used to qualify the response to an open question.
For example: Do you have any plans at the moment?
The challenge in questioning is to ask more open than closed questions as it is easy to fall into ‘interrogation mode’ by asking lots of closed questions rather than a few strategic open questions.
Over the years I have met many people who are looking for help to close sales quicker and/or easier and the first thing I ask them is “what happened in the first appointment”, “what needs of the prospect are you meeting” and “why would this prospect want to buy your product or services?”
When we discuss their questions they are usually very surprised to find out that they are asking the same stock-standard questions that most people ask and they typically aren’t that interesting either. Imagine how repetitive and un-interesting it is for your prospects to be asked the same questions over and over again?
Ask yourself, “are you asking questions that all your competitors are asking or are you making your prospects think?”
Here is a quick test you can take to see if you are asking the same questions as your competitors or whether you are making them think. In your next appointment,
• Does the prospect start to give you a summary of the information you need before you have the chance to ask any questions
• When you do ask a question, does the prospect answer it relatively quickly or do they take a moment to think about their answer.
• How often do you hear your prospects say “that‘s a great question, I hadn’t thought about that?”
As I said, asking great questions isn’t easy but once you start you will really notice the difference in your appointments. Spend 5-10 minutes before your next appointment thinking about the questions you will ask and write them down so you don’t forget them in the meeting!
Here are some to get you started:
• How will these issues impact the organisation in the future?
• How do they impact you?
• What do you look for in a potential supplier (or partner)?
• What do you like about your current supplier?
• What do you like about them?
• Is there anything that you don’t like?
• What would make you change suppliers?
• How would you like to see it working (perfect world)?
• What is your decision making process?
Are you asking questions that make your customers prospects THINK - To learn more about this author, visit Karen Andrews's Website.
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Questioning or probing as it is also known, is most of the most important skills you can learn when dealing with customers and one of the most powerful. The ability to ask questions that uncover important information about a customer’s needs, current supply and willingness to change is a strong characteristic of a ‘consultative’ sales approach.
Great questioning techniques focus on uncovering problems, challenges or frustrations that a business may be experiencing. More often than not your prospects may not actually realize the full extent of these problems until you start questioning and asking about them.
Most importantly, when you ask great questions it can help you to win new business much quicker and with fewer objections. When we help prospects to think about the needs of their business and to really think about current or potential problems or challenges they may face, they start to see us differently and understand the value we can add to them or their business.
There are 2 common types of questions you can ask: ‘open’ questions and ‘closed’ questions
1. Open questions usually result in longer answers and are aimed at getting your prospects to think about the answer.
For example: “What plans does the organisation have to achieve…..”
2. Closed questions can be answered with a yes, no or one word and are used to qualify the response to an open question.
For example: Do you have any plans at the moment?
The challenge in questioning is to ask more open than closed questions as it is easy to fall into ‘interrogation mode’ by asking lots of closed questions rather than a few strategic open questions.
Over the years I have met many people who are looking for help to close sales quicker and/or easier and the first thing I ask them is “what happened in the first appointment”, “what needs of the prospect are you meeting” and “why would this prospect want to buy your product or services?”
When we discuss their questions they are usually very surprised to find out that they are asking the same stock-standard questions that most people ask and they typically aren’t that interesting either. Imagine how repetitive and un-interesting it is for your prospects to be asked the same questions over and over again?
Ask yourself, “are you asking questions that all your competitors are asking or are you making your prospects think?”
Here is a quick test you can take to see if you are asking the same questions as your competitors or whether you are making them think. In your next appointment,
• Does the prospect start to give you a summary of the information you need before you have the chance to ask any questions
• When you do ask a question, does the prospect answer it relatively quickly or do they take a moment to think about their answer.
• How often do you hear your prospects say “that‘s a great question, I hadn’t thought about that?”
As I said, asking great questions isn’t easy but once you start you will really notice the difference in your appointments. Spend 5-10 minutes before your next appointment thinking about the questions you will ask and write them down so you don’t forget them in the meeting!
Here are some to get you started:
• How will these issues impact the organisation in the future?
• How do they impact you?
• What do you look for in a potential supplier (or partner)?
• What do you like about your current supplier?
• What do you like about them?
• Is there anything that you don’t like?
• What would make you change suppliers?
• How would you like to see it working (perfect world)?
• What is your decision making process?
Are you asking questions that make your customers prospects THINK - To learn more about this author, visit Karen Andrews'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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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek'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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