How to Ask Questions in a Sales Meeting
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How to Ask Questions in a Sales Meeting
Why It Is Important To Carefully Consider The Questions You Ask Prospects?
Asking the right questions is a crucial part of any sales conversation. Asking the right type of question at the right time will help you learn how to help clients, what aspects of your offer are most important to them, and ultimately allow you to close more deals. In this guide, we will look at different types of reversing questions you can ask to understand a client’s intentions and gather the information you need to make a successful sale.
The Principles Of Basic Reversing
Sandler UK has developed several sales questioning strategies based on reversing. The idea behind reverse questioning is that, to keep a sales conversation progressing, you should keep clients talking by asking new questions in response to theirs.
When faced with a question like: ‘Do you charge a project rate and can you do it within six weeks?’ Instead of simply asking ‘yes, of course!’, which will stop the conversation flowing, you should answer with a new question that keeps the prospect talking. This can be achieved through one of the following examples of reverse selling techniques.
The Reverse
‘I’m glad you asked me that. Do we charge for the project or the hours worked, and can we complete it within six weeks? Of all the questions you could have asked me, tell me, why are these particularly important for you right now?’.
The Negative Reverse
‘Good question: Do we charge a project rate, and can we complete the work in your time frame? I don’t suppose you would want to share with me why those things are important for you to know at the moment, would you?’.
By posing your question negatively you can be more gentle, supportive and subtle. During negative reverse questioning you will often find you use the phrase ‘I don’t suppose…’ to soften the approach.
The Start-stop Reverse
‘Glad you asked me that. In fact, we charge a product rate… wait, hold on a second? Tell me, why do you ask?’.
This is an even subtler and more natural-sounding approach than the two examples above.
The Strip-line Reverse
‘Everyone seems to be asking me about this today – project rates for work. What is it about project rates that makes everyone so excited?’
Then, stop talking. Give the prospect time to explain so you can learn the real story behind their question.
The Presumptive-question Reverse
‘We get asked that a lot. Do we charge by the project and can we complete it within 6 weeks? I am guessing you are asking specifically because your budgets and timeline are fixed. Is that right, or am I missing something?’
This is a good reverse questioning technique to try if you really are used to hearing the same questions and have a good idea why the prospect may be asking them.
Sandler UK Sales Training
For more information on all the reverse questioning strategies you should be trying, download this free guide. In addition, you can join our sales training experts for an in-person training session on these strategies and much more. We have training centres across the UK, for more information on this or any of the above please get in touch.
