Contrary to many of the books on how to be an effective salesperson, selling in todays market place is just the same as yesterdays. Goods and services are still being bought and sold. Success is still measured by how many sales you close and the profitability within each sale. So what separates successful sales personnel from not so successful? The answer to this question lies in the ability to ask questions that help the potential buyers better understand their needs while demonstrating the value you bring by asking good questions. Remember, being a good salesperson begins by focusing on the needs of the prospect and not your needs. Good questions dont need to be hard. Simplicity is sometimes the better route to take. Simple questions allow the prospect better comprehension and provide opportunities for them to share even more information. For example, the word and can be used as a question after a particular experience has been shared to keep your prospect talking. And? Continuing to listen to the prospect will allow you to ask, What happened next? As the dialogue continues, you build a relationship through active listening while discovering additional needs or as some say pain. Another question Could you please tell me more about that? allows further exploration into the current need. Again, you are demonstrating real concern about your prospect. As the conversation continues, the prospect may share some other solutions that may or may not have worked. At this time, you may wish to ask Specifically, how many? Upon hearing the response, two follow-up questions that achieve great results are And how did that work for you? and How did that make you feel? Additional questions might be What other result or results were you expecting? and How can you be sure of that? Finally, before you end your meeting, a final question of Is there anything else? might prove beneficial. Good salespeople understand that no one likes to be sold, but everyone likes to buy. Your ability to ask questions that create an emotional desire to buy will help you reach that next level of sales success. |
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