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Sales Skills: Asking Good Questions

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For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. Asking good questions and actively listen to the answers is the key to controlling every sales situation. Great salespeople are very good communicators. They use this skill to connect with prospects and customers, gain their respect and understand opportunities to win business.

Great salespeople ask good questions and listen more than speak.

Great Salespeople Encourage Prospects To Speak
Image From Pixabay

Asking Good Questions Is Fundamental

Great salespeople ask good questions throughout the sales process. During the prospecting phase asking good questions eliminates those prospects who are not good candidates. In the rapport phase salespeople ask questions to build a relationship with the buyer. Asking good questions finds out the urgent problems and the implication of those problems. By continuing to ask good questions the salesperson confirms what they have learned during the sales process. Listening to the answers will tell the great salesperson what next question to ask on the way to closing the deal.

Listening Is The Key to Sales Success

I have often heard it said: “God gave you two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak.” Great salespeople are very good at active listening. They ask open-ended questions designed to keep the prospect talking. These questions keep the prospect talking and the salesperson listening. Open-ended questions typically begin with “what,” “when,” “where,” “how,” “what if” and sometimes “why.” The skillful salesperson crafts open-ended questions to keep the prospect talking on topic:

  • What would cause you to change your fire extinguisher service company?
  • When you achieve 85% productivity, what would that look like for your division?
  • Where is there a problem in your delivery system?
  • What if there was a way to reduce inventory costs?
  • Why do you think your advertising isn’t effective?
  • How would you evaluate a sales trainer for your team?
  • Great salespeople have lists of open-ended questions to use at each step in the sales process.

Reversing Questions Keep Control Of The Conversation

Crafty buyers will often respond by asking questions themselves. What’s a salesperson to do? If it is appropriate to answer the question at this time do it. But if you are still digging for more information you need to get control of the conversation again. Great salespeople are skilled at using the “reversing” technique. This is simply answering a question with a question. It is something we do naturally every day. A colleague asks: “How are you today?” You respond: “Fine. How are you?” See how easy this is to get the other person back into the speaking mode. Maybe a buyer asks: “Are you able to deliver on Tuesday?” To reverse a seller might say: “Why is it important to have Tuesday delivery?” Of course having been in active listening mode a great salesperson might be ready to close asking: “If we deliver on Tuesday, would you place the order with me?”

Closed-Ended Questions Offer Clarity

Closed-ended questions (like one immediately above) are a tool great salespeople use to confirm they heard what the prospect said. Suppose you are confirming a meeting. You might ask: “Is Tuesday at 10 am still a good time to meet?” A simple “yes” from the prospect is all you really need. Active listening involves getting answers and giving feedback on what you heard. Great salespeople summarize a conversation then ask closed-ended questions like: “Is that correct?” or “Are we in agreement?” Notice, closed-ended questions typically begin with a verb.

Questions Nurture Customer Relationships

The goal of every sales pursuit is to develop a mutually beneficial long-term relationship between you and the buyer. Asking good questions nurtures the relationship. My mentor Jim Wilson puts it this way:

“Don’t be afraid to ask your customers how you are doing. You may find out some very valuable information—like why they keep using your services or products, or that they are unhappy with something that you need to fix ASAP. Here are a few questions to ask good customers:

  • How did your company originally select us as a supplier? (This reinforces their decision.)
  • What do you like best about dealing with us? (What to keep doing.)
  • If you could change anything to improve our relationship, what would it be? (Fix the problems immediately!)
  • How can our company increase marketshare? (Good customers are eager to help and like to be asked for advice.)
  • How does our company stack up against the competition? (You need to know this.)
  • What other products or services should we provide? (Create a pre-sold condition.)
  • If you were the CEO of our company, how would you go about holding on to good customers like yourself? (They’ll tell you.)”

Great salespeople know open-ended questions are the workhorses of active listening.

Asking Good Questions Keeps The Sales Conversation Moving

Your goal is to get the order. At some point in a presentation you will ask for feedback. When the customer gives a “soft” answer be prepared to ask for an explanation. When you hear non-committal words like, “perhaps”, “sounds good so far”, “we’re leaning toward using you”, etc., it is imperative to ask good follow-up questions. Great salespeople ask the buyer what they mean by the comment. Listen for what is needed to convince them to buy.

What You Can Do Right Now To Be Asking Good Questions

  • Commit to listening more that talking
  • For each sales conversation prepare a list of open-ended questions
  • Practice “Reversing” to keep the buyer talking
  • Listen for key words in the buyer’s answers to setup your next question

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Nine, Building Rapport, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales encouragement, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford

Sales Skills: Goal Achieving

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For the next several months my blog will focus on the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge that makes a great salesperson. I believe that these are fundamental qualities of a great salesperson. Here is a lyric from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific”:

“You gotta have a dream
If you don’t have a dream
How you gonna have a dream come true?”

These few lines explain why great salespeople know goal setting and goal achieving is fundamental to success. I have a simple plan. If you use it I can guarantee you will achieve your dream:

  1. Decide what you want to achieve Set your goal(s).
  2. Determine what it will take to reach that goal. Make a plan.
  3. Dedicate yourself to achieving the goal without distraction. Do the hard work.

Let’s look at each step.

Great salespeople set and achieve realistic goals

Great Salespeople Set And Achieve Realistic Goals Image From Pixabay

 

Goal Setting

Selling is a numbers game. Great salespeople know the way to achieve the ultimate goal is to set and achieve activity-based goals. They have written goals and intermediate objectives. Activity-based goals are targets set on goal achieving actions the salesperson has control over. Great salespeople track their performance. They know which activities pay off and how many times they need to do them to be successful.

For example: Working backwards from the number of orders desired per month to meet the bookings goal, use the closing ratio to determine the number of prospects to pitch. When the closing ratio is 50% and the number of orders per month is 20 then the great salesperson knows to have 40 prospects in the que at all times. By tracking their activities, they know they need 3 prospect meetings to find a qualified prospect; then they have to average 120 prospect meetings a month. Again tracking the effort it takes to get a prospect meeting, the great salesperson knows they need to dial the phone 10 times to schedule a prospect meeting. So the activity objective which sets up success at all other intermediate goals is consistently dialing the phone 120 times per month.

Make A Plan

General Eisenhower said when asked about the value of battle plan: “In planning for battle I have found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Great salespeople value the planning knowing that once the sales pursuit starts they must be nimble enough to react to the customer’s feedback. In making the plan for aggressive and consistent activity, only focus on those activities you have control over. Here are some the activities which great salespeople do consistently:

  • Prospect every day
  • Plan each sales conversation
  • Ask good questions
  • Qualify relentlessly
  • Ask for referrals
  • Give referrals
  • Follow a proven selling process
  • Follow up
  • Show gratitude
  • Learn and practice new skills

Not only do you need a long-term plan for career success but there are activity plans for each day and each sales conversation. While planning is important it should be simple and an effective use of time. Invest the time at the end of each day to review activities and achievements. Plan the next days activities. Each morning begin with optimistic expectation and diligently perform each activity.

Goal Achieving

The third step is the most difficult in reaching your goal. To focus on doing the goal achieving activities to the exclusion of all else. My mentor, Jim Wilson puts it this way: When you’re working, stay focused!

  • Idle conversation with coworkers doesn’t pay the bills.
  • Casual Friday doesn’t mean “relax your sales commitment.”
  • The day before a holiday can be a great time to generate leads and close business.
  • Prospects are everywhere! Let people know what you do.
  • Don’t spend too much time with nonqualified prospects. Close the file and move on.
  • Increase your activity level during focused selling time.

When I sold for a small manufacturing business my primary goal was to close enough deals so everyone got a paycheck. During one annual review my boss told me many of the employees didn’t think I was very friendly. So I set a goal of spending an hour or two in engineering and manufacturing each week just chatting with the folk there. Initially I thought this was an invasion of selling time but I soon found out there was valuable insight to be gained from these conversations which improved my sales performance.

Sales Time Management

There are only so many hours each week when customers and prospects are available. During that time great salespeople are committed to goal achieving activities. Non-selling activities are saved for when customers are not available. As an outside salesman I tracked my “selling time” each week. I measured the time spent face-to-face with customers and prospects, the time spent in other communication with them like phone calls and emails and travel time to meet with customers and prospects. My goal was for these goal achieving activities to be at least 60% of the work week. I saved planning, reviewing, report writing and communication with my colleagues for non-selling time. Great salespeople monitor how they spend their goal achieving time.

Make Timely Decisions

Great salespeople are decisive. They gather what facts they need to make a decision then move on it. Soon they know whether it was a good or poor decision then make corrections. The reason salespeople fail to achieve goals is they are timid deciders. When you make good decisions your customers will too. It’s all part of being dedicated to success without being distracted.

What You Can Do Right Now About Goal Setting And Achieving

  • Set your long-term goal. The one that defines for you whether you are a success.
  • Plan the daily activities which will lead to the success of the long-term goal.
  • Use your “selling time” wisely.
  • Be decisive. Make the plan, do the activity, evaluate the result and do it over and over again every day.

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Eighteen, Setting Your Goals, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales encouragement, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford

 

Selling And Volunteer Fundraising: Answering Objections

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I’m blogging about the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. Professional selling and volunteer fundraising have similar processes. Previous blog posts on volunteer fundraising and selling covered the importance of getting a meeting, preparing for the meeting, how to handle the first meeting and asking for the donation. Just as when a professional salesperson asks for the order, fundraisers are likely to hear questions from the donor. Successful fundraisers are expert at answering objections.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

What Is An Objection?

In fundraising, like in selling, objections are reasons the customer or donor is not yet ready to commit. Objections are valuable because once they are cleared the donor is closer to giving the asked for gift. Successful fundraisers like great salespeople know valid objections are the way donors or customers mask their concerns. So welcome objections as one more step to achieving the goal….

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Selling And Volunteer Fundraising: Asking For The Donation

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I’m looking at the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. Professional selling and volunteer fundraising have similar processes. In both cases getting a meeting is the most important step. During the first meeting the successful fundraiser finds out the passion the donor would have for the program and puts the donor at ease by not asking for the donation. The follow up meeting is where the fundraiser presents the project and asks for the donation.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

The Setup

At the first meeting the successful fundraiser learned about the donor. Their interest in the program, the passion they have for supporting it and since you are having the second meeting their willingness to donate. Yes, money is important. That’s the purpose of fundraising. But to be successful the fundraiser needs to follow the process. By confirming the donor’s need-fulfillment, the successful fundraiser can with confidence ask for the donation….

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Selling And Volunteer Fundraising: Making The Donor Visit

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I’m looking at the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. After setting the date and preparing for the donor visit fund raisers are ready to meet the donor. Just like a well-planned sales call, the fund raiser has an agenda for the meeting. First he builds rapport then moves on to learning what drives a donor to give and whether the particular project excites them. The fund raiser, just like great salespeople, asks open-ended questions and listens attentively to direct the conversation.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

What’s The Same Between A Donor Visit And A Sales Call?

When the salesperson shows up the prospect knows he is there to sell something. So when the fund raiser shows up, the donor is on guard because they think they are going to hit him up for a donation. The donor thinks: “How much will he ask for?” or “Why did I agree to meet with her?” or “Where did they get my name?” or even “Wonder how fast I can get him out of here?” Successful fund raisers get the donor out his mind quickly. Sure, just like great salespeople, successful fund raisers open by building rapport. A few minutes of finding common interests or renewing friendships to engage the donor. Then time to set his mind at ease….

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Selling And Fundraising: Preparing For The Donor Visit

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I’m looking at the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. The first step was to schedule a visit with the donor. Now you are off to visit the donor. Just like great salespeople know asking good questions and learning from the answers is the purpose of a sales meeting; likewise, the fundraiser is interested in learning all about the donor. The same techniques of asking open-ended questions and active listening are used in donor visits.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

Getting Prepared For The Donor Visit

Great salespeople know they can’t “talk” a prospect into buying. The key to closing a deal is to listen. Buyers don’t commit until they feel the salesperson knows all about their problem. Likewise, in fundraising when the donor believes they have been heard and appreciated they are more likely to give. So successful fund raisers prepare a list of questions to learn all they can about the donor and their motivation to give. Jerold Panas in his book “Asking” puts it this way: “No one ever listened himself out of a gift.”

The Problem Of Talking Too Much

In “Asking”, Panas lists the reasons that talking too much will not achieve the desired result. Here are some of the compelling reasons to listen:

  • You learn about the donor’s needs and desires
  • You will hear their concerns when you probe
  • You uncover giving clues
  • You will understand what they will invest in
  • You allow the prospect to gain ownership of the idea
  • You guide the conversation instead of dominating it
  • You get time to think ahead
  • You put the spotlight on the donor
  • You will find the donor is more willing to contribute when they are talking

Just like great salespeople know listening is a powerful way to win work, champion fundraisers are great listeners.

Active Listening Is A Fundraising Skill

Just like great salespeople use open-ended questions, successful fund raisers are expert questioners. What are open-ended questions? They typically begin with “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “how” and sometimes “why”. These adverbs stimulate conversation. For example: “What are the goals you have for the coming year?” asks the donor to talk about his vision of the future and how it might be accomplished. “Who, in addition to yourself, will participate in the decision to give?” helps the fund raiser to understand the decision-making process. “How do you feel about this program?” helps the fund raiser understand the donor’s concerns.

Are Closed-Ended Questions Valuable In Active Listening?

Of course they are. Closed-ended questions are a tool fund raisers use to confirm they heard what the prospect said. Suppose you are confirming a meeting. You might ask: “Is Tuesday at 10 am still a good time to meet?”  A simple “yes” from the prospect is all you really need. Active listening involves getting answers and giving feedback on what you heard. Successful fund raisers summarize a conversation then ask closed-ended questions like: “Is that correct?” or “Are we in agreement?” Notice, closed-ended questions typically begin with a verb.

What Happens When The Donor Starts Asking Questions?

One active listening technique successful fund raisers use is “the reverse”. This is simply answering a question with a question. It is something we do naturally every day. A colleague asks: “How are you today?” You respond: “Fine. How are you?” See how easy this is to get the other person back into the speaking mode. Maybe a donor asks: “Do you have an amount in mind for me to give?” To reverse a fund raiser might say: “I’m not comfortable telling you what to give. Have you thought how much this program means to you?”

Active Listening Checks Where You Are In The Fundraising Process.

Whether it is a one-call-close or a protracted negotiation, successful fund raisers use active listening to know when to move to the next step. Fund raisers use open-ended questions like: “How do you feel about this program?” to understand their commitment. Looking to confirm they have successfully overcome an objection a fund raiser might ask: “Have I cleared that up for you?” When a fund raiser believes they have found out enough information to move on to the next step in the process, they ask for the donor’s agreement. “Thanks, Barbara for meeting with me today. Let’s meet again next Tuesday. OK?”

What You Can Do Right Now To Prepare For Fundraising

  • Set the goal for the donor meeting
  • Prepare a list of open-ended questions to encourage the donor to talk
  • Be prepared to answer their questions or use the reverse technique as appropriate

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Sixteen, Making The Sales Call, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales help, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford

 

 

 

In Fundraising First, Get The Meeting

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In this series of blogs I’m looking at the similarities between professional selling and volunteer fundraising. Great salespeople know the first step is to convince the prospect to meet with you. Likewise in fundraising, getting a visit with the donor is the first step. I’m reading the book “Asking” by Jerold Panas. In chapters Seven, Eight and Nine, he outlines his process of getting a meeting. Writing to set up a phone call to set the time then calling to convince the donor to meet is the same process great salespeople use to arrange meetings with prospects.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

Why Send A Letter?

Panas recommends sending a letter to set the stage for a phone call to arrange a time to meet. The purpose of the letter is to prepare the donor for the phone call. Like in professional selling, the fundraiser needs to present an overwhelmingly compelling reason to meet. The letter should be personal. Take a paragraph to promote the organization in need of the donor’s money. Briefly describe why the campaign is important. And here are the most important sentences: “I promise not to ask for money during this visit. All we will discuss is the program and your good counsel and advice on what we should do next. What comes next is up to you.”…

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Secrets of the Softer Side of Fundraising

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After retiring from 45 years as a successful professional salesperson, I thought I could contribute to my community by helping organizations with their fundraising. Not having much experience in fundraising I wondered how different asking people to support a valuable community organization was than asking someone to make a purchase. I was surprised to find out there is very little difference between the process of closing a sale and getting a donation.

Both Selling And Fundraising Are About Getting People To Part With Their Money

Salespeople and Fundraisers Are Skilled At Asking People For Money

Secrets Of A Successful Fundraiser

While cleaning out our bookshelves, my wife came across the book “Asking” by Jerold Panas. Mr. Panas in a few short pages (there are only 108 including the appendices) outlines the process a successful fundraiser uses:…

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Time For A “Toolbox” Check Up

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Did you ever take a look in the maintenance bay of an auto repair shop? See all those large toolboxes? One at every workstation. They contain the tools a mechanic needs to do his job. Like the mechanic, great salespeople have a “toolbox”. It’s a collection of the attitudes, behaviors and knowledge a salesperson needs to find, win and keep good customers.

Red tool box illustrating salespeople need to keep their sales tools organized

Are Your Selling Tools Ready To Go?
Photo Courtesy of Snap-On Tools

What’s In Your Tool Box?

Those big red toolboxes a mechanic has have lots of drawers and those drawers are filled with specialized tools to do a particular task. Great salespeople, too, have lots of tools. We have techniques to keep ourselves motivated and optimistic. Each day we go out and do the things needed to find, win and keep good customers. Great salespeople know their products and how those benefit their customers….

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The First Work Day Of The Roaring 2020’s

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It’s here!! The first business day of The Roaring 2020’s. How are you spending it? Hanging out with your associates comparing holiday stories? Staring glassy-eyed at your territory goals for 2020? Or getting to work on meeting those goals?

Begin the new year with resolve to be the best salesperson you can be

Time To Get To Work!
Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay

Let’s Get To Work

It’s important to keep and build relationships within your company. So at the end of the business day enjoy some time with your associates. But when the customers are working, you should be selling….

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