Tweet

The Best Information Comes From Short Questions

Guest post by: Mark Hunter

Article Overview: If you want to actually learn something about the customer's needs, you will get there quicker by asking short questions... allow the customer to do all the talking and they'll tell you their goals and will reveal a level of information you need, to determine how to best serve them.

The Best Information Comes From Short Questions

There's no better way to improve the quality of information you receive from a potential customer than by asking short questions. We all can recall far too many times when we've sat across the table from a customer we're trying to help – and we know we can help, if they would just provide us information about their needs and goals.

The problem is that no matter what question we ask, we get the same response: a big fat "I don't know" (or something along that line). Then, almost without thinking, we put on our super salesperson cape and start telling the person everything they need. Unfortunately, when it comes to agreeing to the sale, the person turns cold.

Our problem in dealing with this type of customer is we need to find a better way to engage them and to get them to think about what they want and need – and then share that information with us.

The answer to this dilemma? Short questions. I believe that short questions get you long answers (while long questions get you short answers). What too often happens is we are talking to a customer and asking them what we believe are simple questions, but in reality, those questions are simple only to us. To someone unfamiliar with our product and services, the questions are complex.

For example, we ask a question that has a couple of facts wrapped up in it. As a result, it winds up being more of a statement for which we are simply looking for feedback or agreement. No wonder customers can give us the cold shoulder and the blank stare.

What we want to do is ask short questions. In their simplest form, they are questions like "why" and "how." Or possibly they look like this: Could you give me an example? Could you explain that again to me?

The shorter the question, the more likely we are to get a long answer. The next step is to ask them another short question, following up on what they just said. The beauty about this is it allows the customer to do all the talking. By doing the talking, they'll tell you their needs and desired benefits. They'll tell you their goals and will reveal a level of information you need to determine how to best serve them.

When using the short question approach, there are only two things you need to remember. First, ask the customer a soft easy question to which you know they'll respond. Then after they have given you a response, continue with the short questioning approach by asking, "Could you give me another example?" You then pause and allow the client to give you more information, upon which you follow up again with another short question such as, "How?" or "Why?" Basically, you want to do whatever you can to get them talking more.

The second rule to remember is to not keep asking the same short questions. If you do, you'll come across as an inquisitive 3-year-old rather than the professional salesperson you know you are. You can avoid this best by picking up on a single item they shared with you and drilling down on just that one item.

When you drill down on a single item, you demonstrate your listening skills and your ability to truly discern information. The beauty of this approach is when it works, the customer will many times share with you exactly what they want and will begin asking you questions about features and benefits.

Short questions get you long answers. Long questions get you short answers. It is up to you as to the approach you want to take, but if you want to actually learn something about the customer's needs, you will get there quicker by asking short questions.

Related Articles
  Key Management Insights - Asking The Right Questions
  Questioning Secrets Revealed
  Open, Leading and Closed Questions
  Are you boring prospects with your questions?
  Dealing with Difficult Customers #1
  The Art of Conversion: 4 Questions That Up Your Internet Star Power!
  How to Use Layering Questions
  How to Use High-Influence Sales Questions
  Questions for Meaning and Understanding
  Asking Questions
  Close Too Quick and You Lose Profit
  How To Improve Your Own Time Management Through Seven Strategic Questions, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Why-Questions
  The 5 Top Power questions to ask your customer
  Can You Use Closed Questions to Sell More Insurance?
  Sales Interview Questions from a Sales Coach
  How to prepare for an Radio Interview about your Business angle
  “The Power of Questions”
  Business Planning - Why you should write yours.
  How to Organise an effective press conference

Article Tags: customer, goals, listening skills, needs, question, Sales, salesperson



Related Forum Posts
Re: What Sells Online? - I agree with topeyinka, Information products(how to's) are whats selling right now.
Re: Quote of the Day - "Don't be embarrassed about asking "stupi - One of my favorite requests when leading a class, workshop, lecture, interview, whatever... There are no Stupid Questions, don't be afraid to ask - someone else has the same question, but is afraid to ask On the other hand - try anticipate the questions Back to the first hand - Some People ARE dummer than a ROCK
Re: Quick Ways To Utilize SEO Effectively - There are many different types of content: blog content, website content, newsletter content, audio & video content, the list can be endless. I'll just list 10 types of website content here: * Index/Introduction * Product Descriptions * Testimonials * Reviews * Resources * How-to Information * Downloads * Contact Information * Navigation/Site Map About/Company Info Anchor text as the others have said is the hyperlinked words on a web page - the words you click on when you click a link. Anchor text is important because it tells the search engines what the page is about. Used wisely, it boosts your rankings in search engines, especially in Google.If you use "click here" as the words people are going to click on, you're telling people the page is about the subject "click here", which is not the phrase you want to rank highly for, the text you need to use is a keyword that you have chosen for your website, blog or article. Take care, Carol
Re: Marketing ideas? - Questions will set you free... And make you Rich [quote="KH_Global":349pds7c]Just ask ask ask. That is it.[/quote:349pds7c]
Re: Contact Information - Another idea would be to have an email form in place to accept "ticketed" inquires (if people are afraid of spammers seeing their email address). However, I hate how some sites try to persuade you out of sending an email by bombarding you with lists of "Frequently Asked Questions & Answers" as I find they're rarely helpful.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What Is The Foundation for Your Vision?

Attracting Passionate Employees

The Right Job - Part Five 'Compensation'

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.