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Probing for Success

Written by: Paul Butler

Article Overview: When you are asking questions to develop and understand the customers issues, you need to keep asking and asking questions to uncover the real issues that they have, unfortunately most salespeople stop asking questions and assume what problems they have.

Probing for Success

Would you like to be labelled a typical sales rep or a professional salesperson. I know which one I prefer.Whatever you’re selling use the consultative approach. Be thorough and try to uncover the issues within the business and how they would like to resolve them. Sell the concept before you suggest your solution.Please, please refrain from talking about your products/ services, wait until you present your solution. Otherwise you could waste your opportunity when you get it.
Be different from the rest.Probing is the key area within the sales call, whether it’s
face to face or selling over the phone.If you probe poorly your solution will always be based upon
price. You weaken your chances of uncovering the real
issue and customer needs. If this happens you tend to head towards the price battle, and the customer will not be able to differentiate you from the other suppliers.Probe to establish how the customer would like to improve their current situation, given the opportunity. If they experiencing problems, probe to discover the issues that arise from the problem, get them to tell you what the benefits would be if their problems could be resolved or improved.If you can, uncover two or three areas where your product/service could make the difference and your customer has confirmed the benefits. You will greatly improve your chances of success due to the added value your products/services will bring.
Use a variety of words when probing; do not make it sound like an interrogation.

Regards, PJ have fun and keep smiling

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Article Tags: added value, consultative approach, current situation, customer needs, face to face, interrogation, professional salesperson, refrain from, sales rep, selling over the phone, typical sales



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