How to sell more by asking effective questions

A question is only as good as the answer it produces.

In marketing and selling the key isn’t so much how many questions you ask, it’s knowing what question to ask and when. That makes asking great questions a bit of an art as well as a science.

The art side of the equation is getting people to feel comfortable enough to share information honestly about their situation. Only when the person reading your blog post or sitting across the table senses your genuine desire to help them succeed, will they begin to trust you and open up.

On the science side, a solid understanding of how the human mind works is important. No, you don’t need to have a degree in psychology or practice junk pseudoscience. Yet, having a working knowledge of neuromarketing principles will come in handy.

Like macaroni and cheese, you really can’t have the art and science of questioning without the other. It’s the best way to help prospective customers take an objective view of their needs and figure out if there is a match between your product and the buyer’s need.

That helps you too, by speeding up the buying cycle. And it prevents you from wasting your time and your buyer’s too.

When marketing and brain science meet, beautiful things happen. Your questions and the answers they generate help you capture the attention of your next customer and convince them that your product and company is the right way to go.

Be selfish to close the deal. To get what your company wants -- revenue -- help your customers get what they want, in a way they feel good about. Effective questions help both you and your ideal customers get these desired results. It’s the proven way to drive sales. Ask questions with clear goals that establish you as a trusted advisor. No trick questions need apply. By asking yourself what type of answers you need to help your soon-to-be customer succeed you’ll add immediate value that differentiates you and your business.

Know what you want and where you want to go. Before you post a blog entry, send an email, or speak one-on-one with a prospect, clearly define your objectives. Is it to discover exactly what’s at the heart of the issues that your buyer has and the pain caused by these problems? Is it to define what success looks like and what benchmarks and results must be met? Perhaps you’d like to determine the precise process for making a decision, along with who else is involved and the time frame. Or, all of these. Questions help you and buyers learn more about their condition and the possible opportunities that exist. Questions challenge outdated assumptions and lead us into the future. Questions are essential to positive conversations and thought-provoking thinking. And maybe most of all, winning trust that leads to winning a new customer.

The rules and structure of questions. First a few rules to abide by. It’s about your prospect, not you and your company -- use “you” as well as the person’s name often. Focus on the answer and not on your next question -- this way you can do a deep dive when an answer takes the conversation in a new direction. Lastly, avoid leading questions designed to be a bit manipulative to get agreement on your point of view. Next, realize that there’s an order for powerful questions. The most powerful questions are at the top of the pyramid -- why, how, and what. These call for an explanation, request detail on a process, and ask for a description respectively. A bit lower on the power index is when, where and who. Yes and no questions are the least powerful questions to ask. Trust the questioning pyramid; it’s very effective. You’ll surface and challenge assumptions and prompt more questions. Plus you’ll generate energy and move forward faster. And buyers will begin to trust you as an advisor, which leads to winning their business.

Seeking knowledge is a fundamental human activity that contributes to learning, problem solving, and decision-making. Great questions capture, convince, and close customers. It’s based on decision science, and not deception or trickery.

Learn to ask effective questions -- lots of purposeful and well thought out questions. It’s a discovery process and the only way to find out what’s really on the mind of your customer.

Ron Stein is President of FastPath Marketing (www.marketing-strategies-guide.com) and the author of the Rapid Impact Marketing & Selling Playbook. As a speaker, coach, and consultant he works with small business owners helping them to accelerate the path between their vision and the actions needed to reach, win, and keep customers. Ron is the creator of the FastPath to More Customers Now! 7-step marketing system based on more than twenty years as a successful business owner, corporate CEO, business development executive, and salesman. He is also a mentor at two nationally recognized business accelerators. Ron offers one-on-one and small group mentoring, conducts seminars, and consults. He can be reached at 727-398-1855 or Ron@FastPathMarketing.com.