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Ask Questions Your Customer Can Answer

Written by: Richard Fenton

Article Overview: Without a doubt the most important skill in every salesperson’s tool kit is the ability to ask questions to determine needs. However there is a tendency to fall into "expert" syndrome talk our own language and ask poor questions that force the customer to start asking us, the salesperson, questions.

Ask Questions Your Customer Can Answer

Without a doubt the most important skill that must be present in every salesperson’s tool kit is the ability to ask good questions to determine customer’s needs. What’s interesting, however, is how we as salespeople often ask questions of customers that are virtually impossible for the customer to answer.

For example, consider the following scenario: A customer is looking at two different lawn mowers in a lawn and garden shop. Seeing this, a salesperson ambles over and asks, “What features are you looking for in a lawn mower?” At first glance this seems like a reasonable question, but is it really? No. Why? Because it’s a question the typical customer will be unable to answer (unless they sell lawn mowers for a living), which is, of course the point: they don’t sell lawn mowers, you do! A much better question to ask isn’t really a question at all, it is a statement: Tell me about your lawn. This they can elaborate on, on this topic they can share.

Another good example occurred when my wife and I were out shopping for glasses. I overheard the sales associate ask another customer, “Would you like the Anti-Reflective Coating on your lenses?” I happened to have worked in the optical industry for five years so I knew exactly what this question meant (that there would be a special anti-reflective coating put on his lenses which greatly reduces glare). This customer, on the other hand, looked confused. Having been asked a question he couldn’t answer his response was, “What is that?” Customers should never be forced into playing detective work with the sales person, trying to dig out answers. She would have been much better off starting with, “Do you find that when wearing your glasses you experience a good amount of glare?” Or “Do you do a fair amount of night driving?” Or “Are your eyes light-sensitive?” These are all questions that anyone can answer.

The key to great selling is to remember that great salespeople don’t focus their questions on the product, they focus their questions on the lifestyle and the needs of the customer. Focus on the customer and you’ll rarely miss!

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