If I Could…Would You?

In the late ’70’s, television audiences were introduced to the slick-talking, polyester-wearing salesman from WKRP in Cincinnati, Herb Tarlek. Herb is the quintessential pushy salesman that we all loved to hate. Yet, many salespeople today act just like Herb and don’t realize it…do you?

There are many common mistakes that Herb and other “average” salespeople make, but one of the worst is the questions they ask prospects. Research actually indicates that most salespeople do a poor job of questioning. Part of the reason for this is that most salespeople have been taught to ask leading questions.

Leading questions are designed to move the prospect down the sales path where the salesperson wants him to go. We call them “ammunition” questions, because salespeople that ask these types of questions are gathering data from their prospects that they will turn around and use against them.

A common sales scenario is to engage in a conversation like this:

Salesperson: Do you think saving money is important?

Prospect: Yes.

Salesperson: Well, if I could show you a way to save money, would you buy today?

The “IICWY” sales technique of asking a question that starts with “If I could” and ends with “would you…” is a high-pressure tactic that puts you in the same “slick shyster” category with Herb. This is not the company you want to keep if you want to build trusting relationships with your prospects.

Instead, look at ways that you can ask questions that gather information, not ammunition. In other words, remove the sales pressure from your language. When you ask information questions, you let go of your predetermined sales path. In other words, you quit trying to force the prospect down your path. You’ll actually find that prospects are more interested in going down the path with you when they’re not being forced their with your manipulative words.

And if your prospects don’t want to go down the same path because what you have or how you do it is not a good fit for them, that’s okay. You shouldn’t want them to go down your sales path with you if they aren’t the right fit. Poor-fit clients will only drain your time and your profits in the long-run because they have more customer service issues and will spread negative word-of-mouth.

Instead of acting like Herb, learn to ask information questions that will encourage your prospects to open up and share with you. To follow the earlier scenario, the conversation may go something like this:

Salesperson: Is saving money important to you?

Prospect: It’s important, but it’s not the only factor I’m concerned with.

Salesperson: What other things are important to you?

In this scenario, the salesperson gathers information so that he can provide the best advice or service to the prospect. He is not vested in any particular answer; he simply seeks a better understanding of the prospect and his situation. Depending on the prospect’s responses, the salesperson may even determine that the prospect is not a good fit. Since the salesperson didn’t exert pressure with his language to force a sale, the prospect is much more likely to share his true issues and concerns. This heightened understanding will yield a stronger relationship and a higher probability of making the sale when the right fit exists.



If I Could…Would You? - To learn more about this author, visit Will Turner's Website.

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