When communicating with others, it is common for people (from different walks of life) to get frustrated when they don’t get the response they want. When you trace it back, the issue stems from not asking the right questions or being clear with their intention. George Bernard Shaw summed it up perfectly when he said “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Being clear about your intention and confirming from the other party is essential.
In sales, unfortunately, many trainers and leaders have banalized the importance of asking questions. They give sales professionals a list of questions to ask – some relevant, many not, but most transactional – leaving the prospective client frustrated.
The fact is this: ask the wrong question and you’ll get the wrong answer. If you ask the wrong question, the only way you’ll get the right answer is by accident (or if the other person somehow can read your mind to know your intention and then give you the answer to the question you didn’t ask. As Clayton Christensen said: “Without a good question, a good answer has no place to go.
How to ask better questions?
Listen: When I coach sales professionals, I emphasize the importance of listening first. You need to be in the conversation – listening, acknowledging and confirming – and not in your head thinking about other things. The answer to your (future) question may have been addressed in the conversation. Asking a question when the answer has already been given erodes your credibility!
Ask Focused Questions: Ask questions that deepen the conversation – I refer to those as Focused Questions. Focused Questions are neither too broad nor too narrow and confining. Instead, they bring out additional personal insight, help give clarity and depth to the answer and draw emotion. For example: “What’s the real challenge here for you?”. Contrast that with “Why is that a challenge?”
Ask one question at a time: When you ask multiple questions at the same time, chances are you’ll get only one response (or more than one), but hardly all answers to the questions asked. So, ask one question at a time. Wait for a response to the question before asking another one.
Rephrase, if necessary: If you don’t get the “right” answer to your question, ask it again. It may help to rephrase the question while keeping the intention intact. Doing this helps the listener better grasp your intention and get the right words to respond to your question.
Confirm the answer: Not only does this let the other person know they’ve been heard; it also has the potential of opening more. I usually confirm the answer and follow up with a “What else?” This brings depth and adds color to the conversation.
Of course, there are other tips when it comes to asking the right questions to get answers. If you’d like to learn more, drop a note.
Need help working with your sales team to ask better questions that get the sale? Let’s talk: info@thecommissioninternational.com.
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