Coffee's for Closers

14Questioning

‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’.

—Gary Player

One of the most important parts of sales is questioning. The better your questioning, the better understanding you get of your prospects' needs, and therefore, giving you the best chance of recommending the right products/services to them.

So, why do we ask open‐ended questions?

• To gain information.
• To show an interest in your prospect/customer.
• To make them comfortable.
• To be thorough.
• To build rapport.
• To get your prospect/customer to talk (80/20).

Compare the following:

DOCTOR 1:

ME:

Doctor, I hope you can help, I have a splitting headache.

DOCTOR 1:

Take some paracetamol, and if the pain persists, please come back to see me.

DOCTOR 2:

ME:

I hope you can help, I have a splitting headache.

DOCTOR 2:

Where exactly is the pain?

ME:

In my temples.

DOCTOR 2:

What time do you usually get these headaches?

ME:

Normally the morning.

DOCTOR 2:

How long have you been suffering?

ME:

About a month.

DOCTOR 2:

How much water do you drink per day?

ME:

About a litre, I guess.

DOCTOR 2:

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being excruciating pain, where would you describe your pain?

Me:

I suppose a 7 at its worst.

DOCTOR 2:

From what you've described, I would recommend paracetamol, but if the pain persists, come back, and see me.

Which doctor would you rather see?

I assume the latter would be your answer.

Which doctor is better medically trained?

We don't really know; they could be as qualified ...