28 September 2009 | Miller Heiman

Ask your sales team this question to move sales forward:

Are your questions phrased in a non-threatening way that encourages your contacts to communicate feelings about issues they may have?

Why? Throughout the course of a sales opportunity, many professionals feel they are on a casual enough level with their prospects to engage in comfortable conversation. Jokes, small talk, and thoughts about recent events easily work their way into phone calls.

But it’s not always so easy to ask contacts whether they personally have an issue with the solution you’re proposing. Rather than assuming your contact agrees to what’s on the table, phrase your questions so he or she  feels comfortable enough to bring issues to light. Key words like “elaborate,” “explain,” demonstrate,” and describe” can be less abrasive than “why,” and can often uncover individual needs, desires, concerns and feelings. When used properly, incorporating these types of phrases into questions can even help you gain the customer’s perspective on the feelings of others involved in order to understand multiple concerns that exist.

Many professionals believe that personal feelings aren’t important when it comes to business, but because they directly affect a customer’s concept, it’s imperative to get that extra piece of understanding.

Previous Questions:

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Week 1