Many sales experts I have spoken with, read about or observed over the years all list the most important skill as the ability to listen. And that starts with asking the right questions.
However, all too many people don't do either, as Art Sobczak, president of Business By Phone Inc., Omaha, Neb., recounted in a recent TelE-Sales tip.
He was at a social gathering where a person he just met asked five questions in a row and didn't listen to any of the answers.
That sales person only used the question as a springboard to speak about him or her, Sobczak said, adding asking questions in a rapid-fire manner leaves the other party confused as to which ones to answer first.
So Sobczak provided some effective questioning guidelines for sales people.
1. Ask one question at a time. If it's not important enough to stand on its own, don't ask it.
2. After you ask it, shut up. If they don't answer immediately, resist the urge to answer it for them or follow up with another one. They're likely thinking about what they're going to say.
3. After they apparently have finished, remain quiet for one or two more seconds. You might get additional information, and ensures you don't interrupt.
4. Follow-up their answer with a related question. Don't ping-pong around from subject to subject. For example, if they answered with, "I believe the main problem we have right now is a lack of motivation," a logical next query would be, "Oh, what are some specific situations where you've seen a lack of motivation?"
5. Be confident in your questioning. One reason people ask multiple questions is that they aren't comfortable asking questions. The only way you're going to truly help someone is by finding out about them. You're not intruding. You're assisting.
"Fielding multiple questions is confusing for the listener, and counter-productive for you. Ask one at a time, and listen!" Sobczak declared.
