You realize that questions are a critical part of the sales process, but the questions you ask aren't producing the results you want. The way you structure the questions you ask, and the intent behind them have a dramatic impact on the prospect and your results. Questions are an easy way to establish rapport with the prospect, put them at ease, get them to open up to you, and help them to feel comfortable with you. But your questions must demonstrate your sincere interest in the prospect, or they just don't have the desired impact.
Most sales professionals get off track in their intent and the way they structure their questions. Your questions can't make the prospect feel like you're taking them down a self-serving path, or that won't want to follow. The best way to demonstrate what I mean is to give you an example.
In this scenario we'll presume you're a life insurance agent and that you've gotten beyond establishing rapport, and you've established that the prospect has at least some interest in life insurance to get what they want. Now you might say, "Mr. Prospect you're a man who loves his family, right"? To which Mr. Prospect has to answer "yes". Then you might say, "Mr. Prospect as a man who loves his family you want to make sure their needs are taken care of in the horrible event you aren't able to do so, right"? Again, Mr. Prospect almost has to respond "yes". Then you wrap it up by saying, "Mr. Prospect because you're a loving man and you want to make certain your family is taken care of, when do you think is the best time to start that protection"? At this point you're expecting Mr. Prospect to say "yes", but instead he either says "no" directly or presents a stall objection. Where or how did you go wrong? In this example our sales professional is clearly manipulating the prospect, and both the sales professional and the prospect know it. The prospect feels angry and immediately loses all trust in the sales person. Everything you did to establish rapport and build up trust up to this point has directly gone out the window and you'll never be able to regain what you've lost.
The intent of the sales person in the example was entirely self-serving, and that just doesn't fly with a prospect. Remember the purpose of your questions is to develop trust, and you do that by demonstrating sincere interest in the prospect. And when you're questions suddenly turn self-serving the prospect feels the whole experience has been a pre-planned manipulative sham designed to make the prospect feel guilty for saying "no" to you.
Let's replay our experience and see how we could improve it. The agent might say, "Mr. Prospect as we've talked today it's become absolutely clear to me that you love your family and want to make sure their needs are always taken care of, how do you see life insurance helping you to take care of your family? The agent then carefully listens. As the prospect explains to the agent how it would help they're also convincing themselves of the value and the importance of the decision. Now the agent might ask, "Mr. Prospect it sounds like there are a lot of benefits for you and your family, what if anything is keeping you from having that now"? The agent will listen carefully and make sure everything is out in the open so the prospect alleviates their fear of making a wrong decision. In closing the agent might say, "Mr. Prospect if I could show you a way to get what you want and a way to work around your current obstacles would you be interested in getting started"? At this point Mr. Prospect may still be a little uncertain, but they'll feel like you understand them and their needs so when you show them a solution that works for them they'll be ready to make a "yes" decision.
It isn't the exact wording that's important it's the difference in the experience for the prospect. In the first example the prospect felt manipulated and resents you for putting them in that situation. In the second example the prospect feels like you're working together toward a common goal, so they like you and trust you. If you were the prospect which agent would you rather sit down with?
About the Author
Author: Cheryl A. Clausen can help you get unstuck. Look here to see how your Sales Skills match up. What would happen if you just had more time? Improve your Time Management Skills, check this out.