Difficult questions: when and how to ask them
Only journalists and police like asking difficult questions. Everywhere else in the UK there is a polite ‘British sensibility’ of not wanting to make important inquiries. It’s felt to be rude, even though it isn’t.
In life and in sales, people feel they are being too intrusive by asking direct questions. They are often hesitant to ask too much in case they appear either stupid or nosy.
These attitudes are counter-productive in business. Good business practice requires the ability to uncover the needs of a customer; otherwise, how can their needs be met? Questioning is also needed to ensure that the seller’s time is not wasted on a company who cannot afford their service. Unfortunately, until telepathy becomes a reality for humans, sales teams will be losing out until they master the skill of questioning.
Within the traditional sales script, the line “do you have any questions?” usually belongs to the seller. However, before this point, which often comes towards the end of a sale, the buyer has already been expecting the salesperson to inquire about details.
Questions uncover needs, desires and also valuable background information to be able to put together the right solution; by creating a full profile of a customer, a sales person can be best prepared for every stage of the sales process, through to negotiation. However, the most valuable function of questions is that the asker can demonstrate an interest in and create a rapport with the client.
People buy people, not products
The most successful sales people are often highly skilled in making conversation. Personalities ultimately give the best chance of concluding a sale, and sales people are often not short of this. Sociable creatures, the best sales people often, trade in academic merit on their CV for an interest in socializing with friends. With personality, the right tone and approach, deep questions that really a probe a customer’s interests and preferences bring high rewards.
A way to set the scene for a difficult question is to say it in a calm tone of voice, maybe with a smile and definitely with eye contact. This level of engagement will put people at ease, and it’s a good way to get to the bottom of issues that need to be resolved. Psychologically, sellers must remind themselves that neither they nor the client have time to waste, and getting difficult questions out of the way clears the picture and can minimize any losses in the long term. By asking these difficult questions, sellers are providing a service for both parties.
There is never going to be a ‘good’ time to ask difficult sales questions, but the general rule is sooner rather than later. Getting questions out of the way allows the seller to map out the relationship with the client from the start, ensuring that there is no confusion or miscommunication. In the age of technology, this is the most straightforward way (although not the easiest) to communicate wants, needs and future plans. Without it, there is much more than a little shuffling around in seats at risk.
