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You have
to earn your prospect or customer's time, interest, and attention very
early in the relationship. The first few moments with a new
contact dictates whether or not you're perceived as a valuable resource.
Titan salespeople strategize their questions. They don't make the
mistake of asking the customer questions about what they are currently
doing or using.
These are common enough "openings" but they're not the
strategies you'll see Titans employ.
What kinds of questions do Titan salespeople ask before they ask
anything else? What does a Titan interview look like - and how do
you launch one?
Decision makers are skittish about passing out information at the outset
of the relationship. Have you ever received a sales call inquiring
"Are you in the stock market now and how much do you have
invested?" Didn't you feel like answering, "Why don't
you mind your own business?"
Selling particular features or asking people what are they currently
doing flunk the Titan test. These approaches don't give you the
other person's undivided attention or give valid information.
How should you begin the sales interview if you can't immediately ask
what the other person is using or doing? The Titan alternative is issues-based
questions. These questions aim at finding out where the other
person is trying to go. People love to talk about that!
Prospects are highly motivated to answer intelligent issues-based
questions at the outset of a relationship. Why do issues-based
questions start things off so well? Because we're all in a hurry
to get to where we're not.
Your customers are being paid to find the solutions so their
organizations can achieve their objectives. That's their role.
Are you the solution the prospect is looking for? Are you worth
their time? If so, how will you demonstrate that?
By using issues-based questions to show your interest in key goals and
demonstrate that you're capable of "being there" for the
customer.
Issues-based questions sound like the following examples:
**What are the three biggest challenges your company is facing in
reaching its objectives?
**What do you want your customers to think of when they hear your
company name?
**Please
describe the three top objectives you are responsible for.
**Please describe the
three outcomes you are most interested in seeing.
Wouldn't you rather hear those kinds of questions than the usual jumble
of product descriptions and "tell-me-what-you're doing now"
queries?
A major financial services organization trained its brokers to spend a
great deal of time in the initial meeting trying to build up
relationships with small talk. Prospects tend to view icebreakers
warily. In today's market, people don't have time for
relationships that won't help them get to where they are going.
What I taught their brokers to do was very different. After they
introduced themselves, shook hands, and offered just a little background
about their organization, they moved to an issues-based question that
focused on the prospect's needs, fears or desires.
The way the prospects interacted with salespeople was dramatic.
They went into a "thinking" posture - as opposed to the
no-commitment posture that's so common early on in sales calls.
Asking an issues-based question brings the wall down. Prospects
start talking about what they want to do! "Oh, I want to do
so-and-so for our retirement." Suddenly, you have the
prospect's time and attention.
The "issue" rooted in your question has to be one that matters
to your contact. Asking, "Why are you working with x company
now?" isn't an issued-based question. The issue is:
Where is he or she trying to go?
Issues-based questions are the very best qualifying questions.
They uncover substantive issues faster than any other kind of question.
A simple issues-based question could sound like this: "Where are
you trying to get to -- and what do you perceive as your three biggest
challenges in getting to those goals?" By asking issues-based
questions, you'll find the responses tied in around these four elements:
improved profits, improved productivity, reduced costs, and increased
competitive edge.
Your aim is to get your prospect talking about objectives in at least
one of these four areas - by asking more issues-based questions.
Write down the answers you receive! Don't make an effort to steer
your customer toward any of the four areas
There is a place for status-based questions like "What type
of widget cleaning service are you using now?" That place
comes after you've established yourself as a resource by using
issues-based questions.
Asking additional questions ensures you get all of the necessary
information. They are: illustrative, clarification, and
consequence questions. These supporting questions offer a clearer
vision of what your customer is facing and what is necessary to help him
or her achieve key goals.
Illustrative question help you see things from the prospects
perspective. If the prospect says, "It would have to work
absolutely perfectly." That's a very broad statement!
To gain a little deeper understanding, ask an illustrative question.
like "We wrap this job up for you and it's absolutely
perfect, what does it look like?
The clarification question asks for a workable, in-depth definition of a
specific phrase that's important to him or her:
The consequence question, highlights the consequence of your prospect's
doing nothing and ignoring the resources you offer. Titan salespeople
use questions to highlight the consequences the customer faces by not
accepting their recommendations. Find out what will happen if the
person doesn't take advantage of your solution.
Your "next question" should not be planned. It's in
direct response to the answer you just received. After every
answer, ask yourself: "Do I have enough information to proceed.
If not, what's required?" Is it an issues-based question that
highlights the other person's fears, wants, and desires? An
illustrative question that paints a complete picture? A
clarification question that insures you're on the same wavelength?
Or a consequence question to help you establish the value for your
solution? |
