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DIRECTING YOUR SALES CONVERSATIONS
When I managed a high-end health club in London in the early 90s, we received lots of calls from interested prospects who had seen our ads. The question four out of five people would ask immediately was: “How much does it cost?” There were two problems with this question.
1) It was expensive
2) The answer depended on what they were looking for
My objective as a salesperson was to get them into the club to experience the amazing facility, which was unprecedented in the UK, before we talked turkey. Those of us who were able to do this sold far more memberships than our colleagues who rattled off the membership costs and never heard from the callers again.
You hear over and over that the key to selling is asking good questions. But knowing that is a lot easier than putting it into practice. Where it usually breaks down is when the prospect asks a question, and the seller goes into “autopilot selling mode.”
Here are a few facts about the importance of Asking and Listening
Control the conversation. The one asking the questions is the one controlling and directing the conversation. As soon as you begin telling/selling, you have lost control. This is the most important point of all.
People love to talk, especially about themselves.
You build rapport by asking, listening and showing that you understand.
It’s not enough to simply ask questions. You must ask good questions that give you valuable information, then delve deeper. One of the mavericks I interviewed for my sales book was thrown out of a CTO’s office for asking questions that he should have asked someone else. The CTO pointed out to him, as he held the door open, that meeting with someone at his level was about building the relationship – not gathering basic information.
People want to know that you get it. I have simply rephrased a prospect’s words during a sales meeting or proposal, and they have been amazed at my grasp of their situation.
Size matters. Asking good questions and holding off on “selling” helps you increase the size of the sale by uncovering the full extent of their needs.
Five Ways to Master Asking & Listening
1) Reply-Then-Ask. If a prospect asks you, for example, how your sales training works and they haven't told you enough about their needs, you might say, "The format of our programs varies depending on how many people you want trained, how much time you can devote to training, what your needs are and some other variables. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions that will help me give you the information you need?"
2) Hold off on selling. I go into sales meetings with a blank pad, pen and a small well-designed packet of materials to leave behind. Don’t sell anything until you know what they need.
3) Don’t seem evasive when your prospect asks you a question. If there is helpful information that you can give them right away, do so. Then make sure you ask the next question.
4) Always put your answers in terms of how it will help your prospect. “If you tell me a bit more about your needs and situation, I’ll be able to give you more specific & helpful answers to your questions.”
5) “It depends.” Because your prospect doesn’t always know the best questions to ask or what they really need, replying with “It depends” and following it up with questions is very often your best response.
This approach puts you back in the driver's seat of your sales conversations (and all other conversations, by the way) and in a much better position to help your prospect, close the deal – and increase the size of your sale.
Stop telling, and start SELLING!
Robert Graham
Robert Graham is the Principal of GrahamComm, LLC (www.grahamcomm.net), a consulting and training company that helps clients increase their sales and deliver outstanding presentations. He can be reached at 415-652-0763 or Robert@grahamcomm.net.
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