As we mentioned in the our last article titled, “Asking the Right Questions,” selling is about solving problems. Many Salespeople are so excited to tell customers all about their wonderful product that they completely forget to ask the customer what she wants, or what problem she is trying to solve. The number one complaint customers have of salespeople is that they feel as though salespeople do not listen to them. These five questions help salespeople hear their customers
The Five Questions
The following five questions will help you serve your customer with love and truly hear her problems and offer your unique solution.
- What product are you using now?
- What do you plan on doing with your current product?
- What do you love about your current product?
- What are you hoping to change about your current product?
- How do you plan on using your current product?
What Product Are You Using Now?
As with many bigger ticket items, the customer will need to sell his current product in order to buy the new one. By asking this question, you learn whether there will be contingencies to making the sale. You will also learn something about the person based on knowing the last product of this type that prompted your customer to take action.
What do you plan on doing with your current product?
According to the NADA, roughly 43% of folks who buy a car also trade one in. There are also other types of sales, such as software sales, where the new product will not replace an existing product. In fact, the new product has tobe able to work in tandem with the old product. Asking these questions up front helps you know how to guide the interaction, and makes the customer feel heard.
What do you love about your current product?
Many salespeople believe they need to tear down the customers current product to make them more motivated to buy a new one. I’ve never taken this approach. I believe customers need to feel good about their decision-making ability; especially because I’m going to be asking them to make one that day. Asking a customer to talk about what they love gives you clues on what type of product they want to buy and it also reassures the customer they had a good reason to buy that product at some point.
What are you hoping to change about your current product?
By asking those other questions first, and by asking this question in this way, you will now be poised to have the customer open up about what she is really looking for and why she has a problem. Once you know the true problem, finding an ideal solution will be much easier.
How do you plan on using your current product?
This is a lifestyle question. Many researchers argue that lifestyle is the most important factor when making a purchase. It helps you acclimate your customer to the new product by imagining herself using it in the same way she is accustomed to. If a family tells me they love to entertain with dinner parties, I ask them about the kitchen performance in each home I show them as a Realtor. I may say something like, “Mary, I love the way this beautiful kitchen opens up into the den area. This way you don’t find yourself trapped in the kitchen while your guests are in another room. Can you see yourself entertaining here?”
Conclusion
Asking the right questions can help build trust and rapport with customers. These five questions do that while also giving you vital information that you can use while demonstrating your product. We will cover demonstrations in the next artcle.
