Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons 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 and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
More popular articles
- Success from The Inside Out
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

Are You Asking Provocative Questions



Are You Asking Provocative Questions
   

The other night on TV, I saw an ESPN special on the Football Hall of Fame. Just before the final commercial break, the announcer said something like, "When we get back, you’ll have a chance to learn what we asked these Hall-of-Famers."
Then they showed clip after clip of the most famous football players ever, all shaking their heads saying things like, "Wow, that's a tough one" and "I don’t have a clue." Of course, I stayed glued to the television to find out the question that elicited these incredulous responses. When the show returned, the announcer posed the question:
"If you were the captain of a Hall of Fame football team, who would you pick to be on your team first?"
What a great question! Every single person had to really think before they answered it. Did they want an offensive or a defensive player? Someone they’d played with or against? Perhaps even a player from an entirely different era? What qualities would they want in that first pick?
Great questions are like that. They’re provocative, forcing you to look beyond the obvious, to analyze, assess and make decisions.
In selling, your ability to ask great questions is highly correlated with sales success. Great questions demonstrate your expertise and enhance your credibility. And, the best questions you can ask are highly provocative – ones your prospects can't possibly answer without seriously considering their business situation.
So how do you come up with provocative questions? First of all, it's virtually impossible to come up with them when you’re in the midst of a sales call. Too many other things are going on.
Provocative questions require pre-planning and a significant investment of your time before you meet with prospective customers. To develop them, you need an in-depth understanding of your own offering from a customer’s perspective.
Here's what you need to consider before you develop your questions.
1. Determine how your prospective customers are meeting their needs if they don’t use your product/service. Identify the 3 to 4 most likely scenarios you encounter. These scenarios may include competitive offerings, your older systems, or even doing nothing.
2. Define the primary problems, difficulties and concerns prospects likely experience in each of these scenarios. State these in your prospect's words.
3. Clarify the business implications of these problems. How do they impact productivity, time-to-market, legal issues, profitability, costs, operational efficiency, decision-making and more?
4. Determine the value a customer gets if they replace their current methods, systems or processes with your offering.
Having a cursory understanding of your offering isn't enough. You need to 'know' it at a much deeper level – and truly understand it from your customer's perspective. It's only when you’ve conducted this exercise that you can begin to develop provocative questions.
You see, most customers are living with a less-than-perfect system. They know it has its drawbacks but they've learned how to work around things and get by. Besides, they're much too busy to analyze every aggravation or potential problem.
Most customers have no idea about the total cost of continuing to do things the 'same old way.' When you ask questions about the business implications or the value of change, they're provocative! They get your prospect thinking about why change is necessary - and why it's needed now.
And better yet, these provocative questions create a reason to do business with you today not in the distant future. Plus, they demonstrate your knowledge and expertise – making you an invaluable resource to your customer.
To ask provocative questions, it also helps to frame them with your knowledge of your customer's business, industry, or market trends.
For example, I work with many companies on new product launches, specifically in the hand-off of the new product from Marketing to Sales. My prospects have frequently had less-than-stellar results on previous product/service introductions.
I frame my questions with statements such as:
"In a recent study on new product launches, 75% of executives felt a poor value proposition and launch process were major factors in their lack of success."
"Based on my work with other technology companies on new product launches, the biggest thing that gets in the way of their success is how much they love their new technology."
Then I ask questions such as:
• Are you comfortable that your value proposition is strong enough to deliver the projected sales revenue?
• What gaps or problems do you see in your launch process?
• What is the impact on your company if your new product/service isn't successful in the projected timeframes?
• If the product takes an extra 3-6 months to ramp-up sales, how does this impact time-to-profitability? Competitive inroads?
• What benefit would it be to your company if your salespeople didn't have to create their own proposals and presentations?
Provocative questions are related to the problems you can solve and their resulting business ramifications. They're focused on critical issues facing your customer and framed with your own personal knowledge and expertise. They always get your customer thinking and they move the sale forward.
So, let me ask you a question:
Why is it that most sellers say they know it's important to ask questions on sales calls, but few take the time to plan really great, provocative ones?
Investing time developing provocative questions will have an immediate impact on your sales results. Are you willing to do what it takes to excel?
P.S. In case you’re interested – Johnny Unitas was selected most often as the number one pick by the Hall-of-Famers.

___

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers get their foot in the door of large corporations, create demand and win profitable contracts. Get a free Sales Call Planning Guide ($19.95 value) when you sign up for the Selling to Big Companies e-newsletter. Just send an email with "subscribe in the subject line to jill@sellingtobigcompanies.com . For more info, visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com .




Are You Asking Provocative Questions - To learn more about this author, visit Jill Konrath's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends
[Get Copyright Permissions] E-Mail | Print | More  


Related Articles Related Articles
Sales Skills For Service Professionals Part 1
  The first of three skills every professional or sales professional needs to hone is the ability to ask provocative questions.
Are You Asking Provocative Questions
  In selling, your ability to ask great questions is highly correlated with sales success. Great questions demonstrate your expertise and enhance your credibility. And, the best questions you can ask are highly provoc...
Being Politically Correct Can Cost You Sales
  Sales trainers, coaches and managers teach that you must be “politically correct,” polite or professional, when you ask for information. Being politically correct may just cost you the sale.
Sales Skills For Service Professionals Part 3
  The third of three skills everyone who sells a service needs to develop is the ability to relate moving stories and metaphors.
Why Aren't Blogs Like Mine Worth Anything?
  I get emails all the time telling me that I'm #1 in this list of financial blogs, #3 in that one, and so on. My response is always the same: That's nice, but I'd rather you bought me. But no-one does. Buy me, that i...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Re: Contact Information Re: Contact Information
A few more questions to ask... A few more questions to ask...
link exchange strategy link exchange strategy
Synergy and Other Creative Insights Synergy and Other Creative Insights
Re: link exchange strategy Re: link exchange strategy
How to protect my trade mark? How to protect my trade mark?
Young Entrepreneur Challenge Young Entrepreneur Challenge
Non Commercial Food Service Handbook Non Commercial Food Service Handbook

 
About the Author


Jill Konrath
(Visit Jill's Website)
Jill Konrath, author of "Selling to Big Companies" helps salespeople crack into corporate accounts and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and industry events. Her own client list is proof positive that Jill knows exactly what she's talking about. She's worked with such well-known corporate giants as 3M, General Mills, Carlson Companies, Medtronic, UnitedHealthcare, Hilton and many others. Jill also writes a leading on-line newsletter that’s being read today by over 20,000 sellers from around the world. Most recently she’s been featured in Selling Power, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, Sales & Marketing Excellence – and the list goes on! For more information: - Visit her website at: http;//www. sellingtobigcompanies.com - Check out her blog at: sellingtobigcompanies.blogs.com - eMail her at jill@sellingtobigcompanies.com
Have A Suggestion?

View Author's Blog
Become An Author

View Author's Video
Become An Author

Free Downloads


Jill Konrath's

Complete
List Of
Sales
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Jill Konrath's Complete List of Sales Articles For FREE!

More Jill Konrath
Stop Sounding Like a SelfServing Salesperson
Slow Down to Speed Up Your Sales
Sales Lessons from Dancing with the Stars
Value Creation The New Sales Paradigm
Winning the Battle of Commoditization
Dont Make this Sales Mistake Never Call Someones Baby Ugly
Part I Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales
How to Stop Losing Sales
Part III Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales
Help for Forgetful Sellers
Become An Author