Keeping the conversation going – Learning from your customers!

In my last blog I discussed Open-ended questions and Closed-ended questions and I promised to get back to Reflective questions. Reflective questions are one of my favorites, they are actually enjoyable to use, and yes I admit somewhat lazy...

Always be listening!

Think about playing catch with someone, they object of the game is to throw the ball back to the other person. Think of the conversation as the ball, you ask a question and throw ball (conversation) back to the prospect, the moment they finish they throw the ball back to you. It your job to get the ball (conversation) back into their hands. When you are meeting a prospect and trying to learn about their business needs it is important to have them talking and explaining, not for you to ramble on about your products. You can't learn if you’re talking.

With Reflective questions, you simply keep 'throwing the ball' back to them. Let me give you a couple of examples.

Your client says "We have been way too busy around here since the new contract started"

Your reply is "new contract started?"

Your client says "We used to handle our IT externally, until we got an in-house IT department"

Your reply is "in-house IT department?"

By simply repeating the last few words your prospect says, you can get your prospect to continue the conversation. They have the ability to take the conversation any direction that they want to. That's the beauty of this technique - they literally direct the entire conversation and you simply support it. Using active listening and reflective question gives your prospect a strong sense that you are really interested and engaged in them and their needs.

I mentioned that this was a lazy technique, that's because truly it's easy to do, you just have to listen and repeat. I find this very helpful in social situations, it's great for friendly gatherings when you don't really understand the content being discussed. Think about it "really -a nuclear phase inverter -you don't say"...

Try this and talk about your successes with Reflective questions.

Asking questions...

Asking questions...

The Five W's

In my last post, I talked about the two types of questions: Fact-finding and Feeling-finding questions. Today I want to share the three kinds of questions that can be asked.

They are:

• Closed-ended
• Open-ended
• Reflective

For this post, I’m going to focus on the first two.

Closed-end questions are answered with one or two word responses, typically “yes,” “no,” or a number. These questions are useful for gathering basic data, but not much else. They should be avoided in the sales process. Starting questions with words like “is,” “do,” “does,” or “are” will limit your prospect’s contribution to the conversation.

Open-ended questions on the other hand, are far more valuable in the sales process. These questions invite your prospect to elaborate on the subject instead of just giving a “yes” or “no” response. When your prospect elaborates, they give much more information that will help you formulate the best solution for their needs.

Here are some tips on turning closed-ended questions into open-ended questions.

By simply changing the first word in your question and using one of Kipling's Six Honest Serving-Men, you will open up the conversation. Ask who, what, where, when, why and how.

Here are a few examples:

Closed: Is any there anyone else involved in this purchase decision?

Instead, try:

Open: Who else is involved in this purchase decision?

Closed: Do you have a requirement for an extended warranty?

Instead, try:

Open: How do you feel about an extended warranty?

Using open-ended questions opens up the conversation, allowing you to learn more about your prospect and their needs. Remember, you can only learn when you’re listening.

What questions and techniques do you use to get customers to open up? 

People do business with people they know, like, and trust!

Both Selling Power Magazine and Sales and Marketing Online report that 80 percent of transactions between businesses are the result of relationship/consulting sales.

Most of these transactions happen between people that know each other and have a working relationship, as opposed to salespeople you meet for the first time, like when you buy a car or a new pair of shoes.

Relationships matter in business, open
and honest relationships are the key.

People do business with people they know, like and trust.

How do you get people to know, like and trust you? It’s really simple. Let your prospects do the talking. Remember:

• People buy from you because they like you.
• They like you because you listen.
• The #1 rule in sales: Customers prefer talking to listening.

Successful individuals have mastered the art of active listening and asking skilled questions. These are critical skills that any professional salesperson should have.

According to Asher Strategies, “super salespeople” ask questions and listen much more than they talk. In fact, listening is one the top 10 skills that they have.

When it comes to asking the right questions, practice makes perfect. It also helps to know your options. According to Roy Chitwood of Max Sachs International, there are two types of questions: fact-finding and feeling-finding.

Fact-finding questions are very important to collecting necessary information to figuring out the scope of your solution for the customer. You need the basic facts:

           How many locations do you need to outfit?

What is the time frame for completion?

What is your budget?

Feeling-finding questions uncover your prospect's motives for purchasing, which will not only give you important data, but tell you how your prospect feels. These insights are invaluable tools in closing a sale:

 How do you feel about outfitting 20 locations?

Do you feel this timeframe is aggressive?

How do you feel about an extended warranty?

How have fact finding and feeling finding questions impacted your business relationships and sales?

What makes a Professional Salesperson?

Hello, my name is Tim Schaeffer and welcome to my blog, here you will find items that I believe are beneficial to people pursuing a career as a professional salesperson. I welcome you comments and thoughts.

Over the past three decades in the professional audio industry I studied sales people and sales professionals. Yes, there’s a difference. It started out as a curiosity for me until customer asked me why I never asked for an order. I thought that was an odd question coming from a customer, albeit we were good friends and he was even my previous employer so I guess I thought that I didn’t need to ask for an order that the business would just come.

That single question started me on a journey that continues to this day. As they say, it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.

In my early 20s I thought I was a good salesperson, but in truth I was a good product specialist. I knew all about the gear. I knew what worked together and why, and I thought that by knowing all the details, I could help my customers by pointing them to the right product. Asking for the order seemed like something used car salesmen did.

That question made me evaluate how I was selling. I took sales training courses and sought out the sales leaders in my industry for advice. And I learned a lot. In this blog, I’ll share my experiences, directing you to others in the industry that helpful insights into becoming a professional salesperson.

So what is a professional salesperson?

A professional salesperson helps a customer to buy now and wear well. This I learned from MaxSacks International. Roy Chitwood taught me this and it’s the truest thing I know about sales.

Wearing well is selling the customer what they need, not just what they want.

For instance, a prospect may have the money wants to purchase a higher end model of yours, but it’s the wrong product for his temporary or trial project. You may need to convince them that the extra features are an inappropriate use of their capital. On the other hand, if they are not willing to spend enough for a product to fulfill its mission, you may have to let them waste their money with another vendor.

It’s very hard to be honest with a prospect when your product provides too many features for their current requirements, and sales managers get angry when you recommend a solution your company doesn’t provide. However it is usually the right thing to do. Customers will often come back to you when it’s time for them to upgrade, even if the competitor has a competing model. You have established trust and integrity. Customers sense this. Customers do business with people they know, like, and trust.

Giving up the short term gain for a long term relationship is a solid business practice that is much easier said than done, but it distinguishes professional sales people from just sales people. Almost every time I have given in to the short term gain, I regretted it.  Find your integrity. Stick with it, enjoy it, and be proud of doing the right thing!

What do you think makes a salesperson a professional?