Added Value: The art of asking successful questions

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February 11, 2015

What questions do you include during your sales appointments? The key to effective questions is to have the right set of questions you can bring up at any time, on the spur of the moment, and be appropriate for the circumstance. This takes a lot of practice. But by now, you know sales is a numbers game, and you should have a lot of practice. If you’re not, your paycheck will reflect that.

As the saying goes, selling isn’t telling, it’s asking. For example, listen to many 6-year-olds. They ask a lot of questions every day, and many succeed at getting what they want.

Also, listen to trial attorneys when they ask questions to persuade jurors to agree with their points of view. An appropriately asked question is important, because questions paint mental pictures in people’s minds.

Q. How can you persuade people to buy your services?
A. Ask questions that lead prospects to conclude purchasing your services is the right thing to do — in their minds. Internal pressure, which the prospects put on themselves (as they’re answering your questions in their minds) can produce powerful outcomes.

Q. What do questions make you do?
A. They make you think about making decisions.

One common mistake salespeople make is to help prospects answer the question they just asked quickly and unwisely, which shows the salesperson is desperate for a sale. It’s unprofessional and impolite. When asking closing questions during the sale process, remember the first one to speak loses. I’ve made this blunder in the past. It’s human nature, but don’t be hasty. Be patient and wait for the answer in a calm, professional manner. If you’re like me, I had to practice this skill to make it feel unrehearsed.

The art of asking questions can make a difference, but learning to listen for the answer is just as important.

Cases  in point
Here are a few sample questions you could include the next time you pitch your services. Most of these questions are assumptive, which are my favorite:

• Would Thursday or Friday be better for your initial service appointment?
• We’re getting booked quickly. Would you like me to secure a technician to start your service tomorrow?
• Do you need to discuss this proposal with anyone else before you place this order? (This is a great question, because you’ll learn who the other decision makers might be.)
• If you see it’s to your advantage to use our service, would you have any objections to getting started today?
• Do you believe it’s wise to protect your home, your largest investment, with our termite protection program?

 You can reach Johnson, a past president of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), president of Sevierville, Tenn.-based Johnson Pest Control, and founder of ACES for Business, at ray@johnsonpestcontrol.com.

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  1. Art Manon says:

    When you get a question asking session going , you have momumtum to close, start with your e-mail address, ex; as mine, Uaekart@gmail.com