One of the most important tools for people who sell is Open-ended questions. Or it is as long as you also listen to their responses. These will help you gather information, qualify the prospect, and also establish trust and credibility.
As a professional you should know a number of powerful open-ended questions that are answered by more than a simple yes or no. These should be questions that will get your prospect directly involved in your sales discussion.
You should ask the prospect the question and let them give you their answers. Don’t lead them, and definitely don’t interrupt. Remember this is not an opportunity for you to make a point. This is an opportunity to find out what they are expecting from you or your product. This is also a time for building rapport.
I would encourage you to think carefully of questions you might use and write them down. Post them next to your phone, in your car, or anywhere you might talk to somebody on the phone. Read over them out loud over and over until you know them by heart. That way you will have use of them when you talk face to face with someone. Also this will make the question sound more natural when you ask it.
Here are some examples of questions you might ask.
Gather Information:
What prompted you to look into this?What are you expectations for this product?How do you see this happening?With whom have you had success in the past?What does that mean?
What other items should we discuss?
Qualify:
What do you see as your next step?What is your timeline for purchasing this product?What budget have you established for this?What are your thoughts?Who else is involved in this decision? (This could be a biggie)
What’s changed since we last talked?
Trust and 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?
