I had the honor yesterday of participating in a roundtable discussion organized and presented by Focus.com about the use of questions in the sales process. Moderated by Andy Rudin of Outside Technologies, the panel consisted of some outstanding sales minds: Dave Brock of Partners in Excellence, Jack Malcolm of Falcon Performance Group, Dan Waldschmidt of Waldschmidt/Arp, and finally, myself, of course.
Our discussion addressed some of the most fundamental myths and misconceptions sellers have about the use of questions in sales. In fact, we deconstructed the whole idea of questioning as the central aspect of selling.
By all means, all involved agreed that questions are an essential and important aspect of information gathering and rapport building. Questions help open prospects up so we can uncover new information and help get to core issues and concerns. Questions can help focus both ourselves and our prospects to dig deeper and look more closely at what’s really going on in a company.
But in the end, questions are only a tool. They aren’t the be all and end all of our interaction with prospects and clients.
The problem is that some sellers have walked away from their training on questioning feeling that questions are the secret key to success or that in order to be effective sellers they must be ever conscious of asking the “right” question or the “right” kind of question.
That’s simply bull.
Our object with a prospect or client isn’t to ask questions, even though as mentioned above, questions are tremendous tools. Our object with prospects and clients has to be to communicate—to connect with them in a meaningful way that helps us understand who they are as well as their problems, needs, and wants.
Communication demands far more than an ability to ask questions. It requires that, as Dan Waldschmidt pointed out, we care—that we care about the prospect, about the issues, about our reasons for doing what we do, about who we are and who we’re dealing with.
Communication demands that we connect on both an intellectual and emotional level. Communication demands that we go beyond the gathering of information and actually touch the other person’s humanity (as well as our own).
Yes, we did talk about questions and their importance. But in the end, it was about one human connecting with another, not about how to ask the perfect question.
The real question ends up being why are you asking questions? Is it to connect and build a bridge to help solve issues for a fellow human—or to get into someone’s wallet? That, sellers, is the first question that must be answered.
Hi Paul,
I think what you raise in the post really points to a broader aspect of sales. You are right that “Our object with a prospect or client isn’t to ask questions”, but I would go further that the object also goes beyond just caring, EQ, IQ. Many sales people forget that the object is to sell, the right thing to the right people based on the right need, which again is where questions help. But the object is to sell, not just establish a caring relationship.
Tibor
Comment by Tibor Shanto — July 21, 2011 @ 10:44 am |
Tibor,
By all means I agree that the purpose of the communication is to sell. That being said, the caring aspect has to do with the connection aspect of the process. Part of selling is connecting and whether or now we are seeking to solve or simply to make a buck is reflected by us in the way we communicate–and that is picked up by our prospects. The sinceretiy and honesty of the communication is where I’m coming from–and how that impacts our connection. But, yes, the ultimate goal is a sale and not just a warm fuzzy relationship.
Comment by Paul McCord — July 21, 2011 @ 11:28 am |
I would also agree that it’s to sell, but for most of us, it’s to sell again and again – for years on end. To keep adding value that the customer wants to have a long and fruitful relationship with you and the company you represent.
A key question you should always ask – as a buyer – is whether the seller wants to have a long-term relationship with you. If they don’t, who knows what kind of drive-by selling you will encounter … if they do, the seller is likely to want to satisfy you – the buyer – enough to be a long-term loyal customer. For example, a restaurant may not make any money off of your first visit, but if you visit each month or week for years on end, the acquisition cost and time was well worth it. A business relationship should be based on a mutual exchange of value.
Comment by demandgeniusmp — July 21, 2011 @ 4:33 pm |
I’ve never been on the selling side of sales in the traditional sense, but have been on the receiving end often. Questions are great, but you have to listen to make the questions worthwhile. This lets you accomplish a lot of things including building relationships, understanding needs, and ultimately selling.
Comment by Rich Beck — July 21, 2011 @ 7:56 pm |
Reading between the lines, I am curious how much of the conversation was around believing in what you sell, as much as the belief in making a human connection. My advice to new sales people is if you don’t believe in what you are selling, it will be very difficult to have any type of a long term career. As background, my career in sales begin with a company selling membrane technology for liquid separations to industrial customers, back in the 80′s.
Another area I’m wondering about is if the use of story while making a connection and/or to help educate the potential buyer on the business usage of the products and services was covered in some way. While on the leading edge of membrane separations, without stories of other successes, we were dead in the water. Even though the stories were not about the new prospects application, they were similiar, to allow the words to resonate.
Your article reminded me It was 30 years later I read what Steven Covey wrote, Trust = Sincerity + Confidence. My humble opinion is belief and sincerity go hand in hand. As you so wisely already stated, if you are there for the money or their needs is the first question to ask yourself.
Comment by Ken Jondahl — July 22, 2011 @ 8:20 am |
Great point. I like your emphasis on connecting through an authentic relationship. Salespeople should keep in mind that people connect with others when one is allowed to talk about themselves to another. This works both ways. When a prospect is allowed to talk about themselves, their frustrations and daily challenges, a connection and maybe a bonding occurs that otherwise does not occur when the salesperson talks too much and does not listen enough. Conversely, when the salesperson talks too much, they bond with the prospect. This type of bonding can be the source of the salesperson coming to an unrealistic conclusion about their chances of getting the deal. I have heard many salespeople talk about how well they got along with the prospect. This view of “getting along” is usually created by the phenomenon that occurs when one talks about themselves/jproduct to another. i.e. the salesperson talked too much about themselves.
Comment by Steve Suggs — July 22, 2011 @ 8:24 am |
I often prosthelytize that we must continue to elevate the sales profession, so hopefully it’s no surprise that I agree with much of what folks are saying here and intent of the post.
At the same time, I also think it’s equally detrimental to downplay questions as a tool, just because some people are manipulative, to make a point about ethics.
So, I’d like to offer a few things to think about and for you to poke back at. These are solely my opinions, and since you can’t hear my tone of voice, please assume good intent and pleasantness.
Questions aren’t a tool. CRM is a tool. A job aid is a tool.
Most people think that “sales” is talking… making presentations, pitching a product or service. That’s a part of selling, of course, but done well, it’s just a natural outcome based on what you have learned through questioning and other interaction. Questioning, communicating, listening, observing body language, building rapport, and learning about your customer/prospect IS sales, because it’s human communication and interaction. I’m not sure how we can call that a tool. (Probably way too much semantics/linguistics in there, but it’s my opinion.)
I think I’m borrowing from Tony Robbins when I say that the quality of your life (and I’d add, your sales), is entirely dependent on the quality of questions you ask yourself (and others). You can have the best intentions and most solid ethical foundation imaginable, coupled with an incredibly caring attitude, but if you don’t have the questioning and communication skills, you will still fail.
Does the intent of service, stewardship, caring and helpfulness need to be there? Frankly, no… not just to “get results” or make a sale. That’s been abundantly proven. Should it? Well, absolutely, I believe it should. I think of it as a system of checks and balances… the power of understanding others’ needs, motivations, desires, goals (providing great potential for manipulation)… balanced against the bedrock foundation of caring, morality and ethics (which prevents it).
So, to me, these are equal partners, and neither should be downplayed. It’s wrong to put questioning skills alone on a pedestal (especially since you also need listening, comprehension, and other communication skills). But it’s equally wrong to downplay them, to make a point that something else is important. It’s not either/or, it’s and/and.
If the goal, as suggested, is “to connect with them in a meaningful way that helps us understand who they are as well as their problems, needs, and wants”… try doing that without questions.
Another angle might be this: Maybe, in this profession, we should stop talking about “questioning” as the important skill set, but broaden it to “understanding.” In a sales training program I once designed, I called this stage “exploring compatibility.” The next stage was “exploring solutions.”
Food for thought(?).
Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Paul.
Comment by Mike Kunkle — July 22, 2011 @ 9:27 am |
Mike,
I don’t think I downplayed the importance of questions unless one intreprets the idea of questions as a tool as downplaying their importance. I don’t really understand your statement that they aren’t a tool–a hammer has a particular purpose (with a another tool on one end to help correct mistakes the swinger of the hammer makes). It can be used to do a number of things, but ultimately, its primary purpose is to drive nails . It can also be misused, for example, to smash in someone’s head. A car is a tool that, like a hammer, can be used to do a number of things, but its designed purpose is to get you from point A to point B. A car, again like the hammer, can be misused. Questions are no different. They have a number of uses and misuses, but they aren’t an end in themselves, nor are they the single most important key to communication.
The essence of my post and the basic conclusion of the roundtable was that questions in and of themselves are simply tools to be used in persuit of the real objective–communicating. Are they an important tool? By all means. Are they the only important tool? No. If there is a most important tool in communication I’d have to come down on the side of being an astitute listener, not the world’s greatest questioner.
Again, I’m not downplaying the importance of questions–but I’m also not agreeing with the implication of Robbins that questions are the single answer to understanding and gaining real quality of life–nor is it for connecting with another human.
Comment by Paul McCord — July 22, 2011 @ 10:19 am |
I like the idea about believing in what your are selling. Clearly, a salesperson’s passion for his or her product or service is critical for sales success because passion is contagious. Even still, through experience I would like to share a sometimes subtle issue that’s mission critical to believing in what you sell: a salesperson has to be passionate about the same things his or her customer is passionate about. This is why I don’t sell insurance services.
Before anyone gets riled up, it’s not that I don’t think insurance services are unimportant. They are exceedingly important, and I’m ever grateful that there are people who are passionate about insurance. But have you ever worked with a salesperson who believes in his or her product, but is mildly interested (or disinterested) in the industry? I have. There’s a “tinny” conversation along with shallow questions directed toward “seeing the product’s benefits” and getting the order.
Believing in your product or service first means getting pumped up in the industry. I don’t care whether it’s insurance, advertising, manufacturing, or government. If you don’t get barking dog excited about your prospect’s world, sell something else. It’s OK. From personal experience, you’ll get to the right questions more easily if what your solving means more to you than just your commission check.
Comment by Andy Rudin — July 22, 2011 @ 10:01 am |
I completely agree with Tibor Shanto.
Comment by Shariq Ayub — July 23, 2011 @ 2:59 am |
[...] discussed asking the right questions. Dan Waldschmidt made a comment about lack of caring. Paul McCord wrote a blog after the discussion specific to when to ask the right questions. This sales blog in [...]
Pingback by Did You Know How to Increase Sales Tips and Snippets #6 | Increase Sales Blog — July 23, 2011 @ 7:33 am |
Paul, I appreciate the use/misuse analogy, but we simply disagree on the use of the word tool, and that’s okay. As a performance specialist, I think of tools as the hammer you mention, CRM, a job aid, a BlackBerry, ConstantContact. Questioning is a complex behavioral skill, not a tool. In my world, it’s an important distinction, but I realize it’s not for everyone.
I’m not a Tony Robbins interpreter, but I don’t believe he’s quite suggesting questions are everything, either. In personal development, which is more his arena, the quality of questions you ask yourself are, however, the catalyst for change and growth. I do see a similarity in sales, but I also am not in the “questions are everything camp,” which I hope my previous comment conveyed.
I did sense a general downplaying of questions in your post, but perhaps that’s just my poor interpretation, or perhaps it was necessary to make the point that questions aren’t the ONLY thing, as seem to think. My point was really about balance, and I guess that may not have come across well.
Thanks again for a thought-provoking post.
Mike
Comment by Mike Kunkle — July 23, 2011 @ 9:00 am |
Sorry to ‘rock the boat’ on the alleged importance of questions, but there’s an across the board misconception regarding the role of questions in selling. Everybody talks about the importance of asking good questions. Duh! The problem is, most of the salespoeple who are reading this are on the “do-not-call-list,” because they specifically don’t want to share information with a salespeorson they don’t yet know or trust.
The skill set today isn’t asking good questions. You can teach a 1st grader to ask the right questions. the real challenge today is simply this: If you are a manager, ask any one of your salespeople later this question…”What’s your strategy for causing prospects to share information with a salesperson who they don’t yet know or trust?”
I bet my house they won’t have one, and even if they go to the bookstore to research the answer, causing people to “want to” share information is one of the least taught subjects in sales training over the last 30 years.
Here’s a quick lesson in human nature–If someone doesn’t want to share with you, then it doesn’t matter what questions you ask. You’re going nowhere in that conversation. What is it that causes people to “want to” share? That’s what I wrote five books about, and it’s still one of the best kept secrets in sales today. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone. –Thomas A. Freese
–Best Selling Author and Founder of QBS Research, Inc., the company that developed and delivers the Question Based Selling Methodology. http://www.QBSresearch.com
Comment by Thomas A. Freese — July 26, 2011 @ 9:11 pm |
You’re not rocking the boat as far as I’m concerned, I fully agree with you. There has been a great deal of attention paid to questions–and I don’t deny they are an important part of selling, but it seems to me that in many instances questions have become an end in themselves rather than simply a very useful tool to be learned and integrated into communication. And great books by the way.
Comment by Paul McCord — July 27, 2011 @ 7:48 am |