Selling by Asking Questions

Author: Thomas Frey
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: With the Question-Based Selling (QBS), you will be able to:
★ Connect with more customers
★ Build higher credibility in the minds of customers
★ Get more customer calls and follow-ups
★ Reduce the risk of rejection from customers
★ Handle different types of customers with ease
★ Develop more advocates within the customer’s organization
★ Achieve more deals faster.
Traditional sales training or sales management requires salespeople to constantly make sales presentations to target customers, where what is said is crucial, but what is asked is often ignored. However, this forceful sales approach is less effective in the current environment. After years of experience, the author has summarized a set of Question-Based Selling (QBS) techniques, believing that what salespeople ask and how they ask it is far more important than what they say. The essence of successful sales is not just to increase the likelihood of success but, more importantly, to reduce the risk of failure. How can this be achieved? By asking questions! Through questioning, salespeople can pique customers' curiosity, build credibility in their minds, and encourage customers to actively participate in the sales meeting. By adjusting the scope of questions, relationships can be built, and by gradually shifting the focus of questions, the value of the sales meeting can be enhanced. By adjusting the tendency of questions, more authentic customer feedback can be obtained. Moreover, through questioning, the dual nature of customers' purchasing motivations can be uncovered, allowing for a deeper exploration of their needs and doubling the perceived value of one's product or service from both positive and negative perspectives.