Yesterday sales trainer Jim Domanski shared 4 of the deadly sins of questioning - and what you can do to fix them. Today he's back with even more tips to help you make more sales!
Deadly Sin # 5: Asking too Many Close Ended Questions
Closed ended questions are short answer or yes or no type answers. When used wisely they are handy little helpers that verify, clarify and confirm information. In addition they can help direct the questioning so you can identify needs more quickly and easily. The problem occurs when they are overused which tends to make buyers feel they are being grilled or interrogated. Surveys reveal that after three or four consecutive close ended questions buyers feel frustration; beyond that they are annoyed or hostile and will disengage from the conversation. Regrettably, the majority of reps tend to use more closed ended questions than open ended.
The Incredible Questioning Guide
The trick to balancing close and open ended questions is to create a Questioning Guide Chart. Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left side, list all the INFORMATION you need to help understand the client's situation, needs, wants etc. On the right side, list the QUESTIONS that you need to ask in order to get the information. What you will find is that most of your questions end up being close ended. Revamp those questions so there is mix of open and closed. You can use this chart to help you deal with virtually all of the blunders listed here.
Deadly Sin #6: Not Asking Bold Questions
Bold questions are qualifying questions that many reps seem to avoid or forget. They are called bold because sometimes it takes a little nerve to ask them but in doing so you can save time by cutting to the quick and determining if the prospect has potential or not.
One bold question is the decision maker question: "Apart from yourself, Jim, who else is involved in the decision making process?" Another bold question is the budgetary question, "Tara, let me ask you: have funds been budgeted for this project (product, service)?" A third bold question is the time frame question,
"Wendi, when will the decision to buy be made?"
What are your bold questions? Add them to your Questioning Guide.
Deadly Sin # 7: Assuming that One Person Has All the Answers to Your Questions
Depending on the nature of your sale, there may be several stakeholders that could be impacted. Each stakeholder has different needs and requirements and it is vital that you ask each of THEM questions that are relevant to their situation.
Here's what you do. First, ask your contact who does this sale affect? Second, use a bold question and ask your contact for the names of those who might have a stake in the sale. Third, create a Questioning Guide for each particular stakeholder.
Deadly Sin # 8: Not Asking Pain and Gain Questions
Pain questions are those that query about a problem or a predicament or a concern that a client might have that you can fix. Gain questions query about opportunities or enhancements that you might be able to provide. Both questions deal with the issue of motivation. Find a pain or find a gain and you'll begin the motivation process.
How do you do this? Simply develop a list of questions that pinpoint pain and gain. (Your Question Guide is the place for these.) For instance, "Mr. Gunderson, one thing teachers have been telling us is that creating daily class plans is time consuming and frustration. Let me ask, is this similar to your situation?"
By Jim Domanski of Teleconcepts Consulting. Please visit Jim's web site at www.teleconceptsconsulting.com for additional articles and resources for tele-sales professionals.
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