Questions are the answer

Sometimes we get caught up telling someone something rather than asking questions to get to a point. Many years ago I was working as a supervisor over a crew operating some rather dangerous equipment. My boss came up to me and talked for a moment and then asked me “when would someone normally wear a particular piece of protective gear?” I looked over and saw someone not wearing the specific equipment he was referring to, then immediately made sure he put on the gear he should have been wearing all along. Had he just told me, I would have felt embarrassed.

He who asks the last question is in control. Children are a good example when they continually ask, “why?” Questions get the buyer involved. A great key in sales today an in using these techniques is that you must use them with integrity. You must believe in what you do with all your heart. You must use the product or service you are selling, or be willing to sell it to family or friends if using it isn’t practical.

When someone asks us a question and we know the answer, we are glad they asked it. If they ask a question and we don’t know the answer, we resent him for asking. That is some of the power of a well placed question. We don’t use these to manipulate people, but rather to help move things along and to get them to see things from a different point of view.

You never make a statement without following it with a questions. The reason for making a statement is to pave the way for a question. That is a good rule to follow in every situation, isn’t it?

We should develop a series of questions that we can use in a variety of situations that will help us get clarity and get the customer to think as well as come to a conclusion. Again, we do NOT use these to manipulate people. They are for gaining agreement, uncovering objections, and understanding their viewpoint. This will help us grasp how we can help them and add value to their business.

I’m going to give you a few to try out and you should work them into your conversations.

The first one is the “tie down”. This is fairly common and if used effectively it can be an excellent way of telling where the customer is regarding the buying cycle. The “tie down” is making a statement and then asking a question to verify that they are with you or can be used as a trust checker to see if they are understanding you. An example would be: “The economy is forcing companies to look at more way to control costs, isn’t it?” Or, “You want the most bang for the buck, don’t you?” It’s a way of gaining agreement without telling them directly.

Here is another one, it’s called the alternate of choice. It sort of narrows the options. Sometimes people should change something about the way they are doing something, so you offer them a choice. It’s like Henry Ford used to say when they rolled out the model “T”, he said, “you can have any color you want as long as it’s black.” Well the alternate of choice goes like this: “Would you like to change suppliers or just buy from someone else?” And other one would go like this; “When are you going to evaluate vendors, sometime in the near future, or before the end of the year?” You are helping the buyer be open to buying from you and by giving him a choice, you are giving him control as to how the details play out.

I recommend that you take some time to develop questions that are your own and ones you can use in a variety of situations. You will ask your way into more sales than you can talk yourself into. So make them part of you conversations and you will be amazed at how they work for you.