It is interesting that a number of sales professionals are actually quite successful when they start a new position. When first starting out, without a clue as to the right or wrong way to sell, they still manage to bring in new business. Why is that? Perhaps not trying to sell is the key. Maybe when you are new you spend less time convincing someone to buy, and more time making sure you know what they want.
Being sensitive to the customer’s needs, helps put the decision to purchase in your favor. When you are new and unaware of how to sell, you certainly spend more time asking important questions, ones that help outline how best to service your customer.
When you take the time to ask questions about what your customer needs, it shows sincerity in making sure you get it right the first time. You're also more adept at negotiation as you see little reason not to ask important questions - that in itself is an important aspect of B2B negotiation success. Ultimately, you need to get back to your beginnings and learn to ask the kinds of questions that only rookie sales people ask.
Be That Rookie Again
It’s not easy to program yourself to ask the simple questions. In addition, it isn’t realistic for you to forget everything you know. Your knowledge has helped position you as a solid resource of information for your customers. Perhaps you’ve become that industry expert or valuable resource your customers have been looking so long for. You don’t have to do away with these attributes, you simply have to build upon them and add a little more to your arsenal. You have to learn to ask the kind of leading questions that will get your prospect talking.
The most valuable piece of information you can get is directly from your customer. They alone hold the information you need to succeed. When you assume you know it all, there are always those situations where you are suddenly reminded of something new. If you truly want to uncover all the keys to success at a given account, then here are four simple and straightforward questions that rookie sales people often ask that provide a plethora of information.
Question #1:
“Aside from some of the issues we’ve discussed, is there anything else that will play a role in your decision, or have we covered everything?”
This is a simple, straightforward, and open-ended question that invites the customer to either answer with a question of their own, or simply come out and state other criteria. Either way, it shows that you don’t assume to know everything. It helps to show your sincerity in trying to make sure you have not missed something. This is favorite question of the rookie sales person. It’s also very effective in making sure the customer’s purchase criteria is well defined.
Question #2:
“Sometimes when a customer tells me something, only later do I find out they meant something else entirely. Just so I am not getting my wires crossed, do you mind if we review everything one more time?”
There is absolutely nothing wrong with making sure you have all the information. Taking notes is essential! Asking the above question may just uncover additional information or help clarify something you’re not entirely sure of. Don’t be afraid to take the time to ask the questions that need to be asked. The above question shows your sincerity in wanting to make sure you have everything you need to know to meet your customer's requirements. They’ll come to appreciate your thorough approach. The Rookie sales person would be concerned about making a mistake and would just want to double, and even triple check, to make sure they had all the facts.
While rookie salespeople are good at clarifying purchasing criteria, one area they lack experience in is when they have to deal with price threats, concessions and customer scare tactics in negotiation. The above video provides insight into how to better prepare your sales team for these three issues. To learn more, please go to: Five Sales Competencies Every B2B Salesperson Must Master
Question #3:
“While we’ve discussed how my company has resolved our problems on delivery, I still get a sense that perhaps something might still stop you from ordering. Am I wrong on this assumption, or is there something else that concerns you?”
This is a perfect question to uncover your customer’s concerns. If you’ve had a problem with an account, then your first time back to resolve the issues won’t always be welcomed with open arms. It could very well take you several cracks before you win them over again. Be patient and understand that customers tend to lose trust after encountering problems. If you try to rush their decision, or simply assume the problems are resolved, you are sure to encounter even more problems. Rookie sales people often ask these questions as they feel there may be something behind the scenes that they are not aware of. Call it the sixth sense or simple intuition. Whatever it is, it simply works. Trust your instincts and use these probing questions to bring everything out in the open.
Question #4:
“While I can’t control what happened in the past, and I can’t promise we won’t make similar mistakes, I can however promise I’ll get back to you immediately and help find solutions. We won’t leave you feeling alone again. Does this seem fair to you?”
Rookie sales people never want to guarantee anything. While they may not have had anything to do with what happened in the past, being unaware of the circumstances won’t allow them to promise it won’t happen again. You can never take personal responsibility for mistakes made by your company. Mistakes happen every day in business, for all kinds of reasons. Never ever take responsibility for something that is not your fault. What you can promise is that you will do everything you can to help resolve the problem. What more could anyone ask for?
Those who begin their sales career are more likely to ask leading questions and listen carefully to instructions. These questions close order and build business growth. Their concern about making mistakes forces them to adhere taking diligent notes, and to making sure they understand everything the customer needs.
The approach is a simple and effective method to uncover customer concerns and purchasing criteria. Somewhere along the way, we lose that ability and have to take a step back and remind ourselves of the importance of asking simple questions to solve difficult problems.
The above video explains how to maintain your position as the primary vendor. To learn more about defending your business against competitors, please see: Defeat Overseas Competitors With Three Simple Steps
Comments