Identifying Needs by Questioning and Listening

1. Identifying Needs by Questioning and Listening Learning Objectives: • Understand the purpose of asking questions. • Learn how to select questioning tactics appropriate for the sales situation. • Study specific questioning techniques. • Examine SPIN® Selling and its applications. • Understand the functions served by various types of questions. • Appreciate the importance of listening in sales. • Become acquainted with techniques for improving listening skills. • CHAPTER 10

2. The Purpose of Asking Questions • Provides a roadmap for you to follow • Allows prospects to discover their problems for themselves • Determine prospect’s buying criteria • Salesperson as a diagnostician Salespeople should become “Doctors of Selling”

3. Need Discovery and The Sales Cycle • Need discovery is more important than any other step in the sales cycle • Plan your questions in sequence to gain information in a logical order • Research findings suggest that successful sales interactions: • Contain more requests for information then opinions • Contain fewer statements of disagreement • Closing is directly linked to questions

4. Transition From Approach • Elements of a good transition: • Provide a logical agenda • Request permission to ask questions • Plan questions in a logical sequence • Predict all possible answers • Prepare a smooth transition from each possible answer

5. Specific Planning of Questions • Four Key Objectives: • To discover the prospects “hot button” • To establish purchase criteria • To agree upon a time frame for completion of negotiations • To gain agreement on the problem before beginning the actual presentation

6. Asking Questions Asking questions in rapid-fire machine-gun fashion… • Causes prospects to withdraw or to become angry • Do not keep the prospect pinned down with a ceaseless chatter of oral machine-gun fire • Avoid attempting to force or manipulate answers you want to hear

7. Strategic Recommendations • Phrase each question so that it has only one clearly focused purpose • Questions are easily misunderstood by most people • Avoid technical language or terms unique to your company or product that might confuse the prospect

8. Strategic Recommendations • Ask questions that help reveal the social style of the prospect • Amiables and analyticals take longer to respond. So you must be more patient. • Drivers are task oriented. Show them how they can win. • Expressives show a more personal orientation. Use testimonials and showmanship.

9. SPIN Selling in Action S P I N ituation questions: Data-gathering questions. Uncover facts and background information • roblem questions: Here you help prospects define their needs explicitly • mplication questions: Get the prospect to discuss the problem and how it might be improved eed-payoff questions: Help to build up the value of your proposed solution in the customer’s mind

10. Common Questioning Techniques Closed End Questions: (Structured alternatives, multiple choice type) • Uncover specific facts • Reduce prospect tension because they are easy to answer • Check understanding and receive feedback • Maintain control by directing the flow of conversation • Cement prospect commitment to a specific position

11. Common Questioning Techniques Open End Questions: (Identify a topic but do not provide structured alternatives) • Allows the prospect to move in any direction • Cannot be answered with a yes or no • Ordinarily begins with, “How do you feel?”, or “What do you think?” • Stimulates the prospect’s thinking and increases the dialogue • Helps uncover the dominant buying motive • Uncovers the true personality or behavioral style of the prospect

12. Classification of Questioning Techniques Amplification Questions : • Double-Check Question - restate or rephrase the prospects remarks. Tells prospects: • That you have been listening • That you understand their concerns • That what they say is important to you • That they are making themselves clear • Nonverbal Gestures • Use visual cues (nodding head or leaning forward) • A slightly raised eyebrow or inquiring look

13. Amplification Questions (cont.) • Use of Silence • Indicates to prospect that you do not quite understand • Allows you to relax the pace of the interview • Gives you time to think before answering • Gives prospects a chance to express their feelings • Continuation Questions • They simply encourage more communication from the prospect • Use a few words or phrases to keep the prospect talking

14. Advantages of Amplification Questions • Checks for mutual understanding • Allows the salesperson to rephrase what the prospect appears to have intended • Invites the prospect to expand or clarify any point of disagreement • Narrows down generalizations and clears ambiguities

15. Classification of Questioning Techniques Internal Summary (Reflective) Questions : • Repeat or rephrase part of the prospect’s last response • Gets the prospect to see things from your perspective • Can underscore an important point Getting Agreement on the Problem: • Formally state the problem • Confirm with the prospect that agreement on problem has been reached

16. Listening Effectively Isn’t Difficult…Just Unusual

17. Improving Listening Skills • Avoid prejudgment • Be patient • Take notes • Reinforce • Listen for ideas, do not try to get every fact

18. Improving Listening Skills Capitalize on Speed of Thought: • We speak at 150 words per minute, but we can listen at up to 600 words per minute Use this spare thinking time to: • Anticipate where your prospect is going • Mentally summarize the message • Formulate a response • Listen between the lines • Use silence strategically