If you’re the sort of person who gets uncomfortable in a selling situation, as some entrepreneurs do, it helps to go into battle armed with great questions. Here’s a list of some I’ve used that lead to comfortable, positive conversations. Hope they help, and please – share share your great sales questions in the comments below. Thanks!
- Where are you buying this product/service now?
- Why did you choose this particular product/service?
- What do you like best about this product/service/supplier?
- What would you like to change about this product or how you buy it?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this product/service/supplier?
- How can I help you get an edge on the competition/improve your business?
- What are the key things you look for in a new supplier?
- How does your company make decisions about bringing on a new product/supplier?
- Can you walk me through the process of how your company brings on a new supplier?
- Is there anyone else I should touch base with on this product/service?
- Would you like to place an order now?
- What else besides price is important to you on this requirement?
- In addition to the information I gave you, what else can I do to secure your business?
- How am I doing for you as a supplier?
- How is your current supplier doing for you right now?
- What important questions have I forgotten to ask you?
- How would you suggest I go about developing business at your company?
Hi Brad, great list of questions! I sometimes take it for granted that not everyone is comfortable selling. I think it’s wonderful that you remember and share. The sales process is all about discovery. You’re uncovering needs and listening for ways to meet them. I would only add, ask and then listen. Don’t be so intent on selling that you don’t listen and repeat back answers. Doing so shows you’re paying attention, validates your understanding and leads to the close.
Karen Swims last blog post..Keeping Your Head In a Mad, Mad World
Karen, So true. You can ask the greatest questions in the world, but if you don’t hear the response, what good does it do? Sales people tend to think ahead, but with practice we can live in the moment. Meditation helps.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Defeat Sales Anxiety by Asking These Great Questions
Brad,
Those would seem to be effective questions to me.
Karen hit on the point of discovery, and I note that the majority of your questions (although not all) are open ended questions, which may help prompt the customer to open up and share a little more about how their thoughts and feelings.
This process not only helps you to gain a better understanding about their needs and the role which your offering could play in terms of servicing their business requirements, it also helps build rapport with your prospective customer.
Andrews last blog post..Do SRI funds lack accountability?
Andrew, Excellent observation. Open questions make customers an active part of the conversation. Closed questions make them feel like they’re being interrogated. Closed ended questions (Are you happy with this product?)are devastating, but we tend to ask them more naturally than open ended questions. It takes a little practice to ask good probing questions. A little thing perhaps, but one that makes a world of difference.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Marketing Is Now A Two Way Street Leading Up
Hi Brad,
Especially to an engineer, selling is a foreign concept. This is a great list of questions to have in hand next time I visit my customers. I need to focus a bit more on my listening skills though. A lot of times, I find myself depending on a canned pitch.
Steve C @ MyWifeQuitHerJob.coms last blog post..Customer Stories: The Woman Who Didn’t Get A Receipt
Hi Steve, Hope these questions help. Listening is definitely key, and much easier if you’ve got questions at your fingertips so you don’t have to think about what you’re going to ask next when the client is talking.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Time to Hit the Road