Selling Isn’t Telling: Use Proven Questioning Techniques to Effectively Close Sales
The most successful sales people I know also are the most curious. They are truly interested in learning about the companies and individuals they work with. They realize what many of us struggle to understand: We often demonstrate more value to our customers through the questions we ask than the answers we give. They are able to influence the conversation and demonstrate their credibility and knowledge by asking good questions.
I invite you to read this excellent article at ValueSelling Associates
The difference between being perceived as a solution provider or a trusted business consultant lies in how you manage the conversation about those capabilities with your prospect. By asking “Who cares?” or “So what?” about every feature of every product and service you represent, you begin to understand why your prospects might care about how your products and services can affect their businesses. Effective sales begin with an understanding of your prospective customer – you instead discuss what problems they perceive need solving. Once a prospect agrees that any such problem exists, it’s an invitation to ask about their view of potential solutions — and to create a need for yours.
The bottom line is, how can we expect our prospects and customers to agree on our solutions if we haven’t taken the time to gain agreement on their problems?
So how do you go about using questions to drive the sales process?
I also invite you to read another post we have written a few months ago about SPIN Selling and more recently a book summary about Thomas Freese’s “Secrets of Question -Based Selling”