The Deadly Sins of Questioning - Part 3

Today is the final day of our "deadly sins of questioning" series. Have you come to realize you commit some of these errors? Taken steps to change your questioning tactics? Let us know!

Today sales trainer Jim Domanski shares the final questioning sins you could be making, and what you can do to fix them!

Deadly Sin #9: Not Asking Questions that Quantify
Uncovering a pain or gain is a good start but it is rarely enough to close the deal. The pain or the gain might be minor at this particular stage and not important for the client to take action. You need to quantify the motivator. Quantify means getting the client to evaluate the nature and extend of a problem or an opportunity. Often they don't readily see the implications of pain or gain and they need you to help them assess the situation.

For example, you can ask how often a problem occurs. What does it cost the client when it occurs in terms of both time and money? This creates magnitude. The greater the magnitude the greater the motivation.

Deadly Sin # 10: Not Using Questions to Respond to Objections
The trouble with an objection is that you can never be certain if it is the REAL objection or if it is a false objection. The way to deal with virtually any objection is to a) pause, b) empathize and c) ask a question to determine if the objection is real or if it is hiding something else.

For instance, suppose the prospect objects to price. Ask him to "explain" what he means by price. Does he really mean budget or is it an issue of value or is he comparing apples to apples? Who knows? So use questions to solve objections.

Deadly Sin # 11: Not Listening to the Answers to Your Questions
Perhaps one of the deadliest blunders is asking a question but failing to listen to the answer. Some reps dutifully ask questions but instead of listening they are simply waiting for their turn to speak.

To solve this, stay focused on the words being uttered. Use a pen and pad and take notes because it forces you to concentrate. Next, focus on the tone of voice. The way a client speaks offer nuances that can indicate agreement, disagreement, confusion, indifference, annoyance etc. If you hear something in their voice, ask about it: "Eric, I think I hear some confusion in your voice. Is there something I can clarify?"

Deadly Sin #12: Not Asking Verifying Questions
The last blunder is failing to ask verifying questions. This is particularly important in the world of telephone sales, lead generation or prospecting. Verification questions are those that seek to determine if the client understood YOU. For instance, after providing some information to the client (e.g., a product description) ask, "Does that make sense to you?" or "Do you follow my logic?" or "How does that sound to you?" Then shut up and listen. Gauge the response but more importantly gauge the tone. These questions will ensure that you are staying on track and more importantly, that your CLIENT is staying on track with you.

Questions are the very best of tools in the selling process. But use them wisely by avoiding these blunders. Does that make sense?

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.