Every question a salesperson poses to a potential customer should meet at least one of these 12 criteria.
These come from sales trainer Tom Reilly:
- Will the answers help you validate the data you already have?
- Will the answers help you update information, fill in the gaps, resolve discrepancies and get information you need to close the sale?
- Will the answers give you more information about the values, attitudes and needs of the prospect?
- Will the answers tell you where you are in the sales process and what you have to do to move to a successful close?
- Do your questions shift the focus from yourself to the prospect?
- Will the answers help you decide when more questions are appropriate and in which areas?
- Do your questions get the prospect emotionally involved?
- Do your questions reveal in-depth knowledge about the prospect’s needs?
- Do your questions help determine if the prospect has decision making capability?
- Do your questions identify the prospect’s personal needs, values and timetable?
- Do your questions uncover competitive benefits that may stand in the way of closing the sale?
- Do your questions help you look at your proposal from the prospect’s point-of-view?
Tom Reilly is a sales trainer, author and public speaker. He is the president of Tom Reilly Training.
