Stop Telling
Stop Telling
He carried on for the better part of 90 minutes telling me all the wonderful things that could be done with his service. I would have probably bought from him on the spot, if he had only stopped talking long enough to ask me meaningful questions about what was important to me.
I don’t mean the kind of questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Salespeople are notorious for saying things like, “Is that something you’re interested in?” Usually after making some obvious statement like, “It can save you money.”
Most salespeople spend too much time telling and not enough time asking. And when they do ask, they ask the wrong questions the wrong way. So what are the right questions and how do you ask them?
Start by finding out about the person you’re meeting with. If you’re selling business to business, you then move on to company-related questions. From there, you can determine needs by asking appropriate need/want questions.
Obviously, the specific questions you ask will vary depending on who you are talking to. The key with any questions is to ask it and then LISTEN. Your next question will come to you naturally if you truly listen to the answer that the other person gives you.
For example, your conversation with a prospect may go something like this:
You: So Bob, tell me how you got in your current position of Vice President of Marketing.
Prospect: Well, I worked my way up from a marketing and sales position with the company. I’ve been here for about nine years. It all started when I was recruited from MBA school.
You: Really, where did you go to school.
Prospect: I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University.
You: What made you choose their program?
Do you see how the conversation just naturally evolves? When you listen and don’t try to ask pre-programmed questions, you have a great opportunity to learn what’s important to your prospect and why. Your relationship will naturally develop when you stop telling and start asking.
Stop Telling - To learn more about this author, visit Will Turner's Website.
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Salespeople love to tell people all about themselves and how great their products or services are. Let me give you an example. I recently met with a Business Development Director of a small company. The service he was selling was awesome.
He carried on for the better part of 90 minutes telling me all the wonderful things that could be done with his service. I would have probably bought from him on the spot, if he had only stopped talking long enough to ask me meaningful questions about what was important to me.
I don’t mean the kind of questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Salespeople are notorious for saying things like, “Is that something you’re interested in?” Usually after making some obvious statement like, “It can save you money.”
Most salespeople spend too much time telling and not enough time asking. And when they do ask, they ask the wrong questions the wrong way. So what are the right questions and how do you ask them?
Start by finding out about the person you’re meeting with. If you’re selling business to business, you then move on to company-related questions. From there, you can determine needs by asking appropriate need/want questions.
Obviously, the specific questions you ask will vary depending on who you are talking to. The key with any questions is to ask it and then LISTEN. Your next question will come to you naturally if you truly listen to the answer that the other person gives you.
For example, your conversation with a prospect may go something like this:
You: So Bob, tell me how you got in your current position of Vice President of Marketing.
Prospect: Well, I worked my way up from a marketing and sales position with the company. I’ve been here for about nine years. It all started when I was recruited from MBA school.
You: Really, where did you go to school.
Prospect: I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University.
You: What made you choose their program?
Do you see how the conversation just naturally evolves? When you listen and don’t try to ask pre-programmed questions, you have a great opportunity to learn what’s important to your prospect and why. Your relationship will naturally develop when you stop telling and start asking.
Stop Telling - To learn more about this author, visit Will Turner's Website.
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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