The Single Best Question to Ask in Selling

Recently I have seen an increase of the number of requests for “the single best question to ask a customer or prospect” when engaged in b2b selling.

Truthfully, I really do not believe there is one single question that covers everything as sales situations will vary in circumstances.

Yet, there is one question that I always have ready to use with any customer or prospect I’m calling on. Sometimes I refer to this question as the million dollar sales question since it has the ability to open the door of an objective conversation with the customer or prospect.

The question to use is…

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Limit Detail Sales Questions with Decision Makers

I recently watched a sales person asking a string of detail questions with a decision maker. In my mind, I was wondering about the competency of this sales person – and I’m certain the decision maker was thinking the same thing.

Then I became amused by the sales person’s complete lack of understanding of what is important in the questioning process. After a few moments this emotion moved to frustration knowing that other sales people are doing the same thing and making it more difficult to get time with real decision makers.

Why does it become more difficult to get time with real decision makers? Because the decision makers do not want to waste their valuable time talking to incompetent sales people who have not done their homework before the meeting.

Let me explain what needs to happen more often…

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What Does “I’ll Think it Over” Really Mean?

Often I am asked by my sales clients about the phrase, “I’ll Think it Over.” And, what does it really mean? Actually, there are numerous meaning to this simple term and you need to be aware of these. If you are not aware of the multiple meanings, assumptions are made. Usually, assumptions lead to inappropriate responses from the sales people involved. So here are sales tips when statements are made.

So what does “I’ll Think it Over” really mean…

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Eight Questions About Financial Health of Customers

There are eight questions that you -as a salesperson- should know the answers about your customer. An added benefit is to learn the answers regarding your own company. Then and only then, will you be in a position of strength. Where does this strength come from – understanding the financial health of your customer.

Let’s exam the eight questions that hold the answer to your customer’s financial health. The eight are as follows:

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