That's A Good Question

If you have been in sales for any length of time you have probably read literature (books, articles or blogs) or attended some type of sales training program (face- to-face, telephone or webinar). This means you know the importance of asking questions.

But, how often do your prospects or customers say, "That's a good question?" If you seldom or never hear that phrase, you probably need to improve the quality of your questions because high value, thought-provoking questions force your prospects to think.

Picture yourself on the receiving end of a sales conversation. What question(s) would cause you to sit up and pay attention to the salesperson? What questions would actually cause you to think about your response? Those are the types of questions you need to start asking.

If you're uncertain what questions would prompt this comment, ask a few of your best customers. Tell them your objective and find out what questions they would like other sales people to ask. A key is that they need to be high-level, 30,000 foot view, strategic and tough. Senior executives love to sink their teeth into a good challenge and tough questions achieve that.

When someone says, "That's a good question" make note of that question and use it again with other prospects.

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com