Sales Questions To Ask Prospects And Clients

Read the body language of the potential customer and you will strike gold! For example: if the customer speaks quickly and uses their hands when talking, they are a bottom line person that does not want a lot of details. They will also make quick buying decisions and are more apt to want to upgrade! If someone is speaking slowly and not talking with their hands - they are more cautious and need data and facts to make a decision. You should move slowly and allow time for questions!

Every sales pro should develop 5 POWER QUESTIONS like…

1. Could you tell me more or be more specific?
2. How long has that been going on & what has it cost you?
3. What have you done in the past to solve this problem & how is that working out?
4. How is that affecting you personally? How does that make you feel?
5. Have you considered just leaving things the way they are or what you would do if you couldn’t find a solution?

Develop great questions you can, literally, bank on!

The number one sales question is without a doubt, "what can I do to help your business grow?" or put another way, " How can we better grow both our businesses even more together?" A second really good question for businesses you already work with is: "What can I do to enhance your sales of my product even more?" Or put another way, what's working with my line for you and what would make it even better for you?" It's all about the relationship!

What is it you're trying to accomplish?

When you want to make the sale you have to start with the need. Ask your prospect "What do you need?" and then listen to the answer. I believe that when a salesperson asks the prospect about their needs, and then really listens to the answer, the salesperson will be more likely to gain the business.

Of course, the salesperson has to respond to what the prospect says, not to what he/she wants to sell.

If you won the lottery, what would you be doing next year?

Get “them” talking: The best question I ask customers – both new and existing is:

“regarding business, what’s keeping you up at night.”

This gets the customer telling me the most pressing issues they are facing…this allows me to then provide the right solution to the “exact” problem.
I call this approach Customer-Centric Alignment - I align what is in my arsenal that can solve for their most pressing issues

" What do I need to do/what do you expect from me so that you would be willing to provide me with a referral once we are done/the project is completed?" The key is for the salesperson to ask the prospective customer this question very EARLY in the
process. Now: the customer knows you want to know what they care about; you know what is important; and you can align your presentation and recommendations to the customer's specific request.
Had huge increase in referrals since implementing this.

I've been a salesperson and coached salespeople for over 25 years. The one area that most salespeople try to avoid is "what could be a problem?" We want to be positive and stay upbeat and often times this prevents us from knowing what we need to that might derail closing the deal. So, the one question I teach all salespeople to ask is:
"What are the top two to three obstacles that could stand in the way of you/your firm buying this product/service?"

I am not here to sell you anything - only to see if any of our solutions solve a problem or improve on your ability to achieve your strategic goals. Can you tell me a bit about what your plans are for (insert issue you are trying to address with your product) and how you spend your time trying to address this issue?

"Why is this a priority now?" The NOW is as important as the WHY. It takes time and thought for a prospect to answer so there will be silence. Do not attempt to fill the silence or the benefits of the question will be lost. Benefits include learning the politics of a purchase; underlying & future needs; and reasons a decision can get pushed back. Some prospects may talk themselves into the sale. Other prospects will show they are not a decision maker by their lack of knowledge.

The most important question for me is: “How are you feeling about this process and what are your concerns?” The key thing next is to really listen to these fears/feelings and address them. As soon as the emotional part of the process is removed and, or acknowledged, the client is able to give me the details I need in order to represent their needs and continue with the business portion of the transaction. Don't fight the feeling.

What keeps you up at night?

The blunder that most businesses commit is forgetting the client after the deal is closed. They forget that the first deal is just the beginning. So, my top tip is to follow-up & show your clients that you care, & that 'care' should show up in everything you do, design of your products, selling, follow up, every single thing that you do should tell your client - 'We Care'.

So the question that you should ask your clients is - How can I help you succeed in what you are doing? Because we care!

What is one thing we could improve to make you an absolutely raving loyal fan of our business?

...and how can we help you reach your goals? This is an important question because you want to qualify the lead and then tailor your product or service such that it serves their needs and they will have to purchase with you.

What would have to change for you to consider using our services?
Or
What is the resulting implication behind that problem (name discovered
issue)? And what impact will that have on you or your business?

In my "previous life" I was a licensed psychotherapist. When I became a business coach, many people asked me what a therapist would know about sales. Think about your sales calls as "therapy sessions". Don't "show up and throw up"! Ask open-ended questions therapy-style to determine what the prospect needs/wants and look for problems you might be able to solve. You might be able to create a solution that isn't on your "menu"!

What, if anything, would you like to see me do differently in the future to keep your business?

S.Q.C. – Prospects often try to mask the real issue by attacking your price. Here is how you can find their emotion and control the call.

The prospect will say you are too expensive. STOP – Don’t just give into their attack and lower your price. QUESTION IT!

Sales: When you say too expensive what do you mean?
(SHUT UP and LISTEN)

The Prospect will CLARIFY if they are BULLYING you or the price is a real concern. They MUST tell you before you think of lowering your price!