From Lead411: Questions to Ask When Selling

Written on August 26, 2010 by admin

This is from my post on Lead411.

After reading a stack of recent books on marketing, I went back to an older book for some great advice on selling. The Power of Consultative Selling, released in 1987 by Bryce Webster, has some great advice that still rings true when it comes to selling. As a business owner, selling will be a big part of what you do (at least until you can hire salespeople).

Asking the Right Questions

It seems intuitive that people prefer to talk about themselves than about others. This comes into play in a huge way in selling. Webster talks at length about the types of questions a sales consultant should bring up:

General Questions (Fact-Finders): These are your typical who, what, when, where and why questions that can help you better understand your potential client’s company and needs.
Open-Ended Questions: The more you can get a client to talk, the more you can find out. Ask about their feelings on their industry, their needs and their goals. Make it easy for the client to respond with a big answer, rather than simply “yes” or “no.”
Close-Ended Questions: Sometimes yes or no answers are ok, but pay attention. For these you need to already have determined your client’s needs and be directing him toward an answer you already expect. For example, “is there room in your budget to include this software to improve efficiency?” or “do you feel this would help you meet your goals?” If the answer is no, don’t waste your time trying to convince someone who’s not interested.

To read the entire post, click here.