Ask a Better Question

While counseling Sales Pros who have been slumping, the conversation often moves between technique and strategy.  Too many I have met focus completely on technique and ignore strategy altogether.  Oddly, they often also lack on technique! 

Technique is usually focused on how you handle the interactions with a client.  How you present, how you handle concerns, and how you close.  Strategy typically is how you plan or prepare for interactions, whether for an individual client, or for your month or year in general. 

Today's post is both technique and strategy.  As a strategy, I feel it is wise to always learn what you can from the client.  The customer has some pain, some problem that needs to be solved, and they have chosen to discuss it with you, the sales pro.  I have a very funny family physician with a heavy Russian accent that, whether I go in for routine checkup or a cold, enters the examination room with a solution and a smile:
 "I prescribe you 2 aspirin.  You weel be fine." 
Obviously this doesn't solve my problem, and we both laugh at the ridiculous notion that he could diagnose and prescribe without an actual examination.

Why should your situation be different?  I'll tell you why it feels different.  Because you've been through countless hours of product training, studying, examining your product.  You've read up on it, and you're enthused about it!  You hopefully believe that the general public's adoption of your product can cure cancer, help healthy babies get born on time, close the hole in the ozone, eliminate crime, and make it rain on a prescribed schedule (wouldn't that make weddings and rounds of golf more fun?).  You are seriously stoked about your product!

 Here's the problem.  Your customer has a specific pain.  You assume since they came to the expert (you) that they want to hear all your mumbo-jumbo about the science behind your product, how reputable your company is, and how you'll stand behind the product.  Yeah - don't assume that.  I mean, don't get me wrong, there probably is an appropriate point in the conversation to bring this up, but usually NOT before that point where you have finally remembered their name!  No.  Your job is to assess the pain point, then you can expertly point how your product solves that and more. 

Imagine this:  You are living in a remote part of Alaska, on a beautiful sprawling piece of property.  You learn that the roads to your place are nearly impassable 4 months out of the year, and serious 4x4 is a necessity.  You glance at your new, comfort ride, navigation system, driver-assist, rear camera, 84 air bag Lexus sedan and decide... Hmm.. I don't think this will get the job done.  So, you head to the former military-vehicle-turned-luxury-4x4 dealership.  The polite, vise-gripped handshaked salesperson greets you with a smile that contains more teeth than a bandsaw.  Well intentioned, and seasoned with other customer's objections, he eyes your Lexus and immediately begins defending the surprising ride of his product.  He tells you how highly acclaimed the stitching on the leather seats is, and how the radio system will make you feel like you were dropped in the center of the symphony.   Ignoring the frustration on your face, he continues to show you the touch navigation, satellite assist, quiet sunroof, no-shift transmission, and the 19-way power seats that fully recline.  He is proud of the espresso feature that adds heat and foam to any beverage. 

What's wrong with his presentation?  probably nothing, except it includes no questions!  All this stuff might seal the deal.  Might keep you away from a Japanese or German alternative.  But none of it solved your specific pain.  And the customer can't HEAR all the other great things about the product if they don't hear the one or two things they are specifically looking for! Questioning means having a strategy to learn the reporter's basic questions of Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.  It means simply inviting your prospect to "Tell me what prompted you to call me."

Every customer's pain is unique, and it is what prompted them to come to you to begin with.  So, something in your reputation, advertising, or history indicates that you can solve their pain.  But only your curiosity as a sales pro can help you discover, then solve, their problem - paving the way for them to learn about your espresso feature.  Seriously, Detroit, I could really use that!

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