Start asking better sales questions today, with these quick tips for preparation.
Maybe you’re not ready to wade through the 19 books that an earlier article recommended to help you ask better sales questions.
Or even to read one book, for that matter.
I know. You’re restless, and you’ve come to the right place.
So here’s a short list of seven easy improvements you can make immediately.
1. Be clear in your own mind about your purpose in asking each question.
In addition to wanting information, you may be asking a question for any of as many as 22 additional reasons. For example, in your opening question early in a relationship, do you want to gather information, or is it more important to engage the mind of a busy person you’ve interrupted with a phone call?
2. Know what you want.
Keep a written list of things you want from your interaction now. This idea comes from Jim Camp, who suggests that for every phone call, e-mail message, voice-mail message, conversation, presentation, or meeting, you always have an agenda or a checklist to keep you focused.
A key element of every checklist is your list of what you want now. This may include any information you want to gather.
3. Have a clear sense of your priorities.
Often you can’t ask all the questions you’d like to. You run out of time or your prospect runs out of patience. So think of your questions as precious things, like silver bullets.
Assume you won’t get around to asking them all. So always be aware of which three are the most important to ask now. And if you can only ask one of the three, which would it be?
4. Refine the wording and structure of the questions you ask.
Pollsters have known for years that the response they get to any survey question depends enormously on the exact phrasing of the question.
The same holds true for any questions you ask when you’re selling or negotiating.
If you take the time to write out your questions in advance, you can refine them to make them clearer and more precise – more consistent with your purpose and intention. You can also refine them over time and save them for reuse under similar circumstances with other people.
By working hard on your exact wording, you can avoid many of the 14 Ways to Screw Up the Questions You Ask.
Pay special attention to the first word of your question.
When you begin your question with a verb, expect a short answer that tells you little more than yes, no or maybe.
When you begin your question with an interrogatory word or phrase — such as Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? How much? How many? How often? — you’ll get a much wider range of responses. You are more likely to get more expansive information than from a verb-led question.
For example, when you begin with a verb (as in Do you…?, Have you…?, Might you…?, Can you…? Could you…?, Will you…?, Would you…?, Is…?, Are…? Are there…?, etc.), your prospect may not even answer in a sentence.
That’s fine if you just want your prospect to make a quick decision. But it’s a poor way to start your question if you want to gather useful information or prompt your prospect to think harder about something.
Besides thinking about the opening words of your questions, make sure all the following words are as clear, concise, specific and unambiguous as you can make them.
Once you’ve put in all this effort on refining your questions, save your best and most useful ones for recycling. You’ll make your future preparation more efficient.
5. Think about the most appropriate sequence of your questions.
While it may be tempting to ask your highest-priority questions first, that may not always be the best strategy. Often people won’t answer a hard question until they’ve been “warmed up” a little with easier ones.
Think about an order that makes sense either logically or emotionally: from easier questions to harder ones.
For example, you might move from more general questions to more specific ones. From questions about goals, wants, vision and intentions to questions about problems, frustrations, obstacles, challenges, to details of the prospect’s current situation.
You might move from questions the prospect can answer comfortably to questions that make the prospect feel less comfortable.
6. Consider the possible emotional effects of your questions and how you ask them.
This is another idea from Jim Camp. In every sale, your prospect’s decision is 100% emotional until your offering has been delivered and put into use.
Considering the extreme importance of your prospect’s emotions, be sure your voice, tone, inflection, pacing and wording are carefully selected to avoid causing any of the 18 problems cited in the previous article, How to…
You want your tone always to be nurturing and caring. Never harsh, judgmental, impatient, insensitive, or self-serving. Sometimes it’s important to explain why you’re asking a question that may be uncomfortable for your prospect to answer.
7. Practice, practice, practice.
Read through your questions out loud to make sure they are easy to say.
Rehearse your tone of voice. Make sure you can ask them without sounding nervous or tense. Relax your neck and vocal chords.
Slow down your pace.
Practice a little imperfection that makes you seem a little less OK than your prospect.
By applying these simple ideas, you can start asking better questions in your very next conversation.
Stay fresh.
– Scott Silverback
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