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!
Ask Questions Your Customer Can Answer - To learn more about this author, visit Richard Fenton's Website.
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Richard Fenton
(Visit Richard's Website)
Having spent his early years in fleet
sales at the nation's largest auto
dealership, Rich learned to sell, serve,
and succeed from a true master... who just
happened to be his father! But Rich's true
calling has always been speaking And with
thirty years of successful experience as a
salesperson, manager, and training
director for some America's premier
organizations including Disney, Macy's,
Hart Shaffner & Marx, and LensCrafers,
Ricahrd Fenton is uniquely qualified to
motivate people to reach increased levels
of performance. Rich has spent the last
eight years as owner of his own
speaking-training-consulting firm, and
is the author of three books, including
the highly acclaimed "Go for No!" and over
100 published articles on sales and
management performance. Rich delivers
dynamic, engaging presentations that not
only connect with audiences but provide
real-world techniques and strategies that
can be implemented immediately to achieve
breakthrough performance.
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