by John Carroll

In sales, we all acnowledge the importance of questions but go about them completely incorrectly. If the question can be your single most indispensable aid in every step of the buying/selling process, why is it so often misused?

First, let’s look at why questions are so valuable. Here are just a few reasons:

1. Questions give you a chance to learn – It has been said that we learn when we’re listening, not when we’re talking. Asking questions can prompt the prospect or customer to share information critical to the sale.
2. Questions give you a chance to listen – This is easily the most underrated and underused element of communication. When you ask a question that encourages your prospect to speak at length, especially about a topic pertinent to the sale, you can listen and build trust with your prospect at the same time.
3. Questions can position you as a consultative seller – The higher quality the question you ask, the more credible you become in the eyes of your prospect. Asking general questions such as, "How many people work here?" falls short of, "How does the current labor market impact your ability to find and keep good people?"
4. Questions can give you important competitive information – You can often learn more about your competition from your prospects and customers than from any other single source. Customer impressions of competitive offerings can provide your best insights in keeping tabs on your competitors.
5. Questions help you move the sale along – Basic tools such as the trial close, to check your progress at any point in the sale, help insure that you haven’t lost your customer in what might otherwise be a hailstorm of uninteresting product information.
6. Questions help you get the business – Asking for the order, according to the research, happens in only 50 percent of sales conversations. Unfortunately, in many cases, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
7. Questions help you get referrals – Asking for and getting referrals can be the most valuable part of your sales and marketing plan. Most often, you get referrals only when you ask for them.

Discussing versus probing

While we all acknowledge that probing questions are essential, most of us probe as though we're entering a dark room without a flashlight: tentatively and apprehensively. Others take an overpowering approaching by barraging a prospect with questions. If you were the prospect and a sales professional began to probe with you, how comfortable would you feel? One picture that comes to mind is the interrogation room in a dungeon where the single light overhead shines directly into the eyes of your prospect. Questions can come rapid fire and relentlessly. These two extremes

In his work on empathizing with others, Stephen Covey talks about the invasive nature of questions. That’s exactly why a customer who feels as if he or she is being "probed" can become uncomfortable and begin to show the discomfort through short answers and protective body language.

In a discussion with the customer or prospect, you can put the focus on the customer, his problems and the challenges in addressing those problems. You can do this in such a way that the customer senses the benefit of the discussion as well and continues to answer your questions.

Classic sales questions

Considering questions as tools to build the sale helps the sales professional realize that he or she should never go to work without them. That means preparing for the sales call by gathering the tools, or, in this case, structuring the questions.

Try getting your customer thinking by tapping into his or her reality with questions such as, "What is your lie-awake-at-3 a.m.-and-stare-at-the-ceiling problem?" I’ve seen prospects and customers laugh nervously before asking how I knew they hadn’t slept the night before. Then they proceed to share their biggest challenge, one that consistently gives me the opportunity to listen and learn.

Another way to get at your prospect’s single toughest problem is to ask, "If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about your business, what would it be?" If your prospect is open and honest with you, you can learn what tops the wish list. Since we know buying decisions are purely emotional with logic simply supporting the dominant emotion, the answer to this question can steer you in a strong direction toward the sale.

Note that the previous two examples of questions are very general in nature and can lead in virtually any direction. You’ll want to prepare your questions in such a way that you’re confident the answers will move toward the solutions you can provide.

For example, if you’re speaking with a sales manager and you ask either of these questions, the answer is likely to address more sales, more productive sales people or the difficulty in finding the right people to sell this company’s products and services. If you offer solutions to these and related issues, you’ve directed the conversation toward your strengths. Too many questions with answers leading away from what you offer will weaken your opportunity. Neil Rackham, in his SPIN Selling Fieldbook, calls these high-risk questions and warns against their use.

Preparation wins in the end

Gathering your tools before you begin a project at home is very similar to formulating your questions for your prospect or customer before the meeting. You save time on a home project when you can continue the work uninterrupted rather than stop periodically to search for another tool. In the sales example, fumbling through your questions can be very costly. Your prospect can clearly see your lack of preparation. You’re only fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

You can do a great job of framing your questions in advance simply by doing your homework. Does your prospect have an Internet website? If so, you can learn many of the basics about the company, its products and services, its history, its management team and what’s new just by visiting that site.

Preparing in advance of the sales conversation, or the initial interview, as I prefer to call it, can make a tremendous difference. You have the opportunity to make a great first impression on your prospect simply by knowing the basic information he or she has had to rattle off repeatedly to others who didn’t make the effort. Considering that there’s only so much time your prospect can spend with you, do you prefer to discuss general information or issues critical to that prospect? If you answered the latter, you’re correct. You earn the opportunity by doing the research ahead of time.

Tips for better questioning

How can you make sure you have your questioning tools with you when you go to work with a new prospect or current customer? Follow these tips:

1. Prepare for the call – The majority of salespeople will simply go and see their prospects and "shoot from the hip" hoping for something good to happen. The top professionals will do the homework, know their objective for the call and prepare their questions accordingly.
2. Write some questions in advance – This is as simple as creating a list of questions that would tell you everything you need to know to sell your prospect. Once you’ve done the list, visit the prospect’s website and see how many of those questions you can answer without taking your prospect’s time. As you find these answers, cross out those questions on your list and add questions as they come to you. Now take the remaining questions as your tools for the interview.
3. Take your written questions with you – I like to write notes when I’m speaking with a prospect, to capture key words, phrases and issues. Having your questions on the same tablet you’ll use to take notes is an effective way to be ready with a question when your prospect answers the previous question.
4. Listen closely – There’s nothing worse than a prospect answering a question and having to repeat the answer because the sales professional was off in never-never land. Know that you have your prospect’s undivided attention only when he or she is speaking to you, because that prospect is watching closely to see if you are truly listening and receiving the message.
5. Ask follow up questions – You can showcase your listening skills by asking a question based on your prospect’s answer. You can also get better information, because the question can dig more deeply into the prospect’s need or dissatisfaction.
6. Check your progress – This is particularly valuable as you present the solution you’re recommending for the prospect’s problem or challenge. Take a breath now and then by asking, "Are you with me so far?" or "Do you have any questions at this point?" Checking your progress can help insure that you and your prospect are still on the same page and that you haven’t lost him or her in a maze of product or service information.
7. Ask for referrals and personal introductions – "Who do you know in a manufacturing business locally who could benefit from the higher involvement process we’ve helped you create here?" Ask these referral questions as specifically as possible to help your customer guide you to your next prospect. Try to phrase this question assuming that everyone knows someone. A yes/no answer to a request for referrals, such as "Do you know anyone who…" simply gives you a 50/50 chance that your customer will say no.

Improving your selling game starts with asking better questions of your prospects and customers. You’ll uncover more opportunities, make better impressions and increase your chances of making the sale just by taking your most valuable tools to work with you.

John Carroll is President/CEO of Unlimited Performance, a Mt. Pleasant, SC, firm focused on organizational and individual performance improvement. Brian Tracy International, a worldwide network of consultants, has recognized him for sales excellence. Contact him at 1-800-672-4277 toll-free, email at jcarroll@uperform.com, fax at (843) 881-6746.

© 1999 John Carroll All rights reserved.