Many salespeople have a series of thought-provoking questions for their prospects, but too often present them in a manner that turns prospects off rather than engaging them. Prospects resent it when you ask them to fill out a checklist of predetermined questions without taking a personal interest in each response. They feel manipulated when you fire back solutions before delving deeper into their feelings and problems.
Conversely, prospects connect with a rep who is genuinely curious and thoughtful, and who asks surprising questions. Since how you ask is just as important as what you ask, Shari Levitin (ShariLevitin.com), a sales coach and consultant, created seven tips for asking questions that will engage prospects and turn them into active participants in the sales process. Here are three:
Let the customer finish his or her train of thought.
Salespeople often can’t stand the awkwardness of silence, so they rush to fill the void. To have a meaningful conversation, in which you get to know each other well, you must allow for pauses and perhaps a bit of patience. What may seem like the end of a train of thought may just be a long, mindful pause. Such pauses often result in a deepening of connection and vulnerability; exactly what a salesperson needs to close the sale.
Stay with the customer.
Don’t ever hand your customer a survey and leave them to answer questions on their own. Likewise, refrain from sending discovery questions online, if possible. Leaving your customers to answer questions on their own is a recipe for disaster.
Confirm customer information (create a feedback loop).
It’s essential to create a feedback loop. Although simple facts – like the spelling of a name – are easy to check and correct, it’s much trickier to listen and articulate back how your customer feels. A rep should close a conversation by saying, “Thank you for sharing this information with me. It helps me narrow down what I show you and saves you valuable time.” The rep should repeat names, dates, trigger events and personal information before gaining agreement by asking, “Is there anything I’ve missed? Any critical information you’d like to add?”
A link to learn about all seven tips can be found in the Additional Web Resources box at SalesandMarketing.com.
