Sales Tips: Asking The Right Probing Questions

By Rufus Shinra

Asking questions and listening to the buyers needs are two fundamental and critical selling skills. Both aspects are important. You need to ask the right questions and listen to the answers. This process is the single best investment of your time.

Follow steps that are similar to troubleshooting. Do not lead with selling a product; begin by asking, What are the problems youre experiencing? You wouldnt tell a Customer how to correct an email issue before you know what is wrong with the email.

When you ask, you often get the solution, not the actual problem. I need people to be able to get to my site. This is an answer to the problem not the problem itself. Instead ask questions to find out why people are not able to get to his site. Find out as much about the problem as you can to develop a customized solution. What have they already tried to solve the problem? Expand your questions to uncover all the factors that may be causing this issue. Its also important to find out what the Customer has tried in the past. This way you can point out how your solutions are different. Get to the root of the problem to determine the correct solution or a range of options that work within the Customers budget.

When probing, keep in mind that the purpose is to uncover as much information about the needs of the Customer as possible. You want to present a solution that addresses the complete problem. Many of us do not ask probing questions at all. Be sure to identify an all-inclusive solution that meets all of your Customers needs.

Open and Closed Probing Questions:

Use open questions to determine the broader problem. These types of questions pinpoint areas of opportunity and gain information on the conversational style of the Customer. Ask open-ended questions early. Do not wait until you are about to close the call. Open-ended questions typically start with:

What

Where

How

Why

Who

Use closed questions to get more specific information about the problem you uncovered through your open questions. Use these questions to determine which solutions will be the best choice to resolve the problem. Determine which benefits are more important to the Customer. Identify any potential road blocks or objections. You can use closed-ended questions to identify points of urgency or uncover information that will justify the cost. Closed-ended questions usually start with:

Do

Would

Could

Should

Can

Probing Advantages:

It puts the spotlight on the Customer.

Probing gives you critical information you need to take the focus off of price.

Probing involves the buyer in the sales process. The involvement lowers resistance to change.

Probing allows you to direct attention to non-price issues.

Actively listening shows a general concern for the Customer and helps to build rapport.

Top salespeople spend twice as much time listening as they do talking; they recommend solutions only after listening to the buyer.

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About the Author: Rufus Shinra

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