Here’s How You Sell The Right Way

Have you ever considered that the questions the buyer asks you are clear signals of their phase in the buying journey? We so often fail to listen to the whole question because we want to appear smart, knowledgeable, and savvy. So much so that we often forget to listen and consider what the question means about the buyer’s process. Let’s talk about it.

From now on, it’s important for you to start listening to your buyer’s questions. This is not only so that you can effectively answer them, but also so you’re able to see what they reveal about the buyer’s journey. 

Let’s say, for example, you are an advertising agency that provides marketing for small businesses. Where in the buyer’s journey do these questions from potential clients fall?

• Do you provide marketing services for insurance agencies? What types of services do you offer?
• Do you build websites in WordPress? What is your pricing for a WordPress website and what are the monthly hosting fees?
• If we move forward with your proposal, what are the next steps and how do we get started?

If you guessed Awareness, Consideration, and Decision in that order, then you guessed correctly. Awareness questions tend to be broad questions that help the buyer establish a big-picture sense of your products and services. Consideration questions are more specific and ask you to detail the features and benefits of your products. Decision questions compare you to others and ask you to draw a sharp contrast between options. 

It’s also important to respect the buyer’s research and knowledge during your initial sales conversation. The only way to accomplish that is to find out what information is known already. How will you do that? Ask them! The following questions will help you determine how much the buyer knows, what they know about your company or product, and what information they are still lacking:

• Have you visited our website?
• (If yes) What did you see that you liked? 
• What do you know about our company?
• Are you familiar with our services?
• Are you familiar with this product?
• What solutions have you researched so far?
• What information are you looking to gain today?
• Do you know anyone that is already using our product(s)?
• What prompted you to call/email/text/visit me today?

Most books and educational programs on sales skip these questions and advise you to go straight into asking questions like “tell me about your business” and “what current frustrations are you experiencing?” These are good questions if you are in a cold-calling or first-appointment scenario where you initiated the meeting. However, in today’s global economy where we are all interconnected by social media, most of your sales conversations are going to happen because the buyer already knows something about you!

Did you find this blog helpful? Discover more tips for how to become a Rock-Star, Top-Producing, Quota-Busting Salesperson when you read FANtastic Selling.

Categorised in: Career Advice, FANtastic Selling Tips