Do you remember the last time, when you bought something and immediately felt determined to buy more from the same seller? If so, there is a high chance that the salesperson made you feel important. She seemed genuinely interested in giving you the best deal. And if you observed carefully, she used a lot of powerful questions in sales.
Most of those in sales and business development are by their very nature – outgoing, impatient and talkative. This is what enables them to get into sales and manage to stay in the game most of the time.
The good thing is they are not afraid to start a conversation with a new person. They tend to revel in their ability to talk and create a conversation. This, however, leads them to focus more on talking and many miss key skills that the masters in sales work the hardest on!
So what are the 2 important skills, that anyone wants to win in modern selling, needs to master?
1. Ability to ask powerful questions
2. Ability to listen
ALSO CHECK –How to expose prospect’s pain points EASILY with ONE question?
In these days, by the time a salesperson has her first chance to interact with the prospect, that buyer has already learnt most of the initial information which the salesperson may be interested in sharing.
Rather the potential buyer is sometimes completes 50% in the modern buying cycle, before they speak with a salesperson.
So, in the modern sales cycle knowing your prospect thoroughly and carefully becomes necessary. Your initial conversation with them would be about this, most of the time.
In simple words, your job as a salesperson is to be “interested”, rather than being “interesting” to the customer.
What emotions do customers need to feel about the salesperson before they buy?
Think of your last few purchases again. You will realise that there are some specific emotions that you felt before you made the decision to buy. Let us list a few of those emotions that triggered your purchase.
1. The salesperson was genuine ( Credibility )
2. She cared for you ( Rapport )
3. She clearly knew what she was selling ( Authority )
4. She understood your needs ( Empathy )
5. She had your best in her mind ( Customer First )
Let us imagine, what would make your customers feel all of these 5 things about you?
Imagine the last time, when you came across an individual who gave you a feeling that he really understands you and cares for you.
Was she talking too much? Or was she making you talk about yourself more?
How did she manage to do it?
The insight is simple – She was asking you questions that made the entire conversation aligned with the things that mattered to you!
This means,
When it comes to the buyers, your will need to ask questions that will align your entire selling process with the buying cycle of your prospect.
What are the 7 game-changing benefits of asking powerful questions in sales?
And let us also explore,
How do they benefit you and your customer right from start till the end of your sales cycle?
1. Asking question build strong rapport and trust. It answers this for the buyer: Do I trust him enough to buy from him?
2. Asking questions can make customer emotionally engaged – emotionally connected customers buy more of your products and services. Especially when a lot of products in the market are similar, it is this emotional connection that serves as a needle mover in deal closure.
3. Asking questions removes false assumptions about customers. Many times, it is those false assumptions that can kill the deal.
4. We get to know what are customers’ emotional and practical needs. It tells you: Why does he want to buy this? Why from me?
5. They make the customer give you hints about: How does what you sell, can be presented as a solution that they are looking for?
6. You will also know: Which other service providers are he exploring for this? In other words – Your competition. Every buyer in this market, before coming to you has already checked with at least 2-3 other options.
7. Last but not least – Questions give you control! Have you observed, who controls the conversations most of the time? It is the person who uses more questions!
Can you imagine, in how many ways, you can use this valuable information? Will help you create a strong position for yourself and your offering, in the buyer’s mind?
It is this ability to think and use powerful questions, during your sales process, which will set you and your results apart from 99% of those in your field.
At NeedleMover, our focus is to trigger the most important quality of highly successful professionals in you: “Curiosity“.The innate yearning to know more and learn consistently in Sales.
We call this the “Q Dimension” – where Q is for curiosity, questions, and quest!
We know, this will enable millions of professionals to have an edge in their field, especially in sales. By experience and data available, we know that not even 1% of sales professionals are good at the art of asking powerful sales questions.
As they say, it is the quality of your questions, that defines the quality of your life!
And it is just the same when it comes to your selling.