Asking and Listening

This is one in a series of articles on approaches to enhancing sales performance. The articles include presentation skills, cold calling, closing, questioning skills, territory management, progressing the sales and many others.

Questions about needs

As expressed by the previous purchase decision and its result

• What factors made you interested in the product/service you use now?
• What things do you like about the current product/service?
• How did you decide to buy this product/service?
• What challenges has that created in the past?
• If you could improve something about it, what would it be?
• What else was dissatisfying to you?
• What prompted you/ your company to look into solving this problem?

As expressed by the current situation

• What kind of problems are you experiencing?
• What impact does this problem have on your revenues or costs?
• What are your expectations/requirements for this product/service?
• What process did you go through to determine your current needs?
• What is it that you’d like to see accomplished?
• How do you see this happening?
• Can you help me understand that a little better?
• What does that mean?
• How does that process work now?
• What challenges does that process create?
• What are the best things about that process?
• What other items should we discuss?

Qualifying

• What do you see as the next action steps?
• What is your timeline for implementing/ purchasing this type of service/ product?
• What budget has been established for this?
• What are your thoughts?
• Who else is involved in this decision?
• What could make this no longer a priority?
• What's changed since we last talked?
• What concerns do you have?

Establishing rapport, trust & credibility

• How did you get involved in… ?
• What kind of challenges are you facing?
• What’s the most important priority to you with this? Why?
• What other issues are important to you?
• What would you like to see improved?
• How do you measure that?

Listening using the "3R's"

• Repeat

For example: "The installation would have to be completed by December 1st," you can respond by saying "So completing after December 1st would cause you problems?"

• Rephrase

For example: "We weren't satisfied with the installation," you can respond by saying "So there were problems with the installation that were not resolved?"

• Remember

Listen with all your senses and ensure you remember what is said by taking careful notes asking for clarification whenever needed.