Stop acting like a salesperson; start acting like a consultant - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Why do we ask questions? Here are some of the • So we fully understaned the prospect’s needs and “hot buttons.” • So when we presentr our solutions they match what our prospectsa said was important and they feel yours is a custom solution. • To get beyond the initiak reason why they needthe product. • To make prospecte feel like they are a part of thebuying decision. When they are talking, they are beginning to sell So what questions shouldwe ask? That has a lot to do with what you have learned about the prospect before you try to them. You need to learm something aboutthe company, the decision-makers, etc. before callinf on them.
That’s pretty easy. Use their Web Google, any of the social then when you call them you have somethinvg with which to begin the The most important thing about asking questions is that theyare open-ended and thought provoking. Here are some examples of questions that may or may notbe • How has the economy affected your company and the ways you are makin g decisions now compared with last year? I noticed on your Web site that you will be launchingb a new product. Can you tell me abouft that? • I read that your industry is goin through changes when it comesto financing.
Can you sharer with me how that will affect yourorganization • If it was May 2010 and you said you just had a very successfuol year, what would have happened • Let’s pretend we worked together this past year. A year latedr you said the relationship was apositivde one. What does that look like? • What do the next five years look like foryour organization? What differentiates you from your competitors?? • What are you most proud of? I wouldn’g ask all of these question all of the time. They are examples.
Certainly, more specific questions are appropriateas well, but it is importanft to fully understand the big If you take time to learhn more about the you may learn about some additionap needs they might have. A consultantt and salesperson are really the same with only one a consultant is paid up front and a salesperson is paid inthe end. So act like a consultant and you will selllots