The single most powerful tool that a
sales person has is a well-phrased, appropriately asked question. Nothing else compares to the impact a good
question can have on the customer and the sales process.
That’s because a good question
directs and influences the customer’s thinking.
When you ask a question, they think of the answer. That simple statement neatly packages the
latent power of a good question.
Yet, few sales people understand
that, and fewer still implement it. A
number of years ago, a study was done on this very issue. Here are the results:
“Out
of 300 sales people studied, 87 percent realize the importance of asking
questions. However, only 27 percent
displayed the ability to ask a well thought out, stimulating series of
questions.”
In other words, thirteen percent of
the sales people in the world don’t even recognize the power of asking a good
question. And only about one out of four
could actually do it. That means that
three out of every four sales people, or 75 percent, don’t ask good questions.
There are two issues here: First, realizing the importance of using good
questions effectively, and second, actually doing so.
This is such a big issue that my most
recent book, Question Your Way to Sales Success,
is devoted entirely to this issue.
Everyone can ask a question. I have a three year old grandson. He can do it.
This issue isn’t asking questions; the issue is asking better
sales questions. While I can’t condense
the book to a few hundred words here, I can point out a couple of things that
the best do with this most powerful tool.
1.
They prepare their major questions before the sales call. This gives them the time to select the best
language and sequence.
2.
They are mindful, at every stage of the sales process, of using better
sales questions. They understand that
there are questions, there are good questions, and there are better sales
questions. So, they constantly focus on
creating and using better sales questions. Whether it’s a cold call on a prospect, or
following up after the sale, at every stage of the sales process, a more
effective use of questions will produce dramatically better results. And they know that.
3.
They collect good questions over time, and use them over and over again.
A master sales person is a master at
the use of better sales questions. That’s
why it is a best practice of the best.
To learn more about this skill,
consider my book, Question Your
Way to Sales Success or bring a one-hour training program into
your company. Review Stand Alone Lessons – Pods #4 and #5: Mastering Your Most Powerful Sales Tool.”
If you are already a subscriber to The Sales Resource Center,
consider Cluster #CL-14, “Asking Better Sales Questions.”
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