The $64,000 Question

The questions you ask your prospect may or may not be worth $64,000, but choosing the right ones may win you the sale. To shoot for quality of customer information instead of just quantity, gather information in these categories:

Facts – Of course you need to know all about your prospects’ situations to uncover their needs, but you shouldn’t spend all your time on this category. Remember that factual questions may bore prospects if they don’t see the benefit to them in answering and are just waiting for the interrogation to end. To minimize your face-to-face fact-finding time, use the Internet, company literature and other sources to learn as much as you can before you meet with the prospect. During the appointment, get the facts as quickly as you can, then move on.

Problems – Prospects must often recognize a problem before they take action. Learn how your buyers view their circumstances, then query them to find out if they think they have a problem. Thorough research should help you identify trouble spots. Comparing your prospects to some of their competitors may also alert you to problems. If your prospect is lagging behind a competitor in productivity, sales or profits, maybe your product can help them gain ground. If your buyers don’t think they have a problem, determine whether you can use questions to develop a need.

Problem costs – Once you uncover what’s bothering your prospect, you have to show them what it costs not to fix it. By making prospects recognize just what a problem is costing them in dollars and cents, stress and/or reduced productivity you can move them to take action. To make prospects feel the pain of the problem, try asking, “Can you measure in dollars what that’s costing you? What effect is that having on your business?” If you can show prospects the negative consequences of ignoring the problem, you improve your chances of convincing them to buy.

Solving the problem – Now that your prospect feels bad about their problem, you can make them feel better by presenting solutions. Use specific questions that prompt them to tell you themselves what they stand to gain: “What would that be worth to you in terms of increased sales? Exactly how much do you think you would save?” Make a list of the questions that seem particularly effective and make them a regular part of your presentation.