Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Tough Questions Get Results

Questions are the Answer

In the last post I showcased the importance of asking good questions of successful people. Dan Kennedy - a very successful direct marker - listed some of the questions that he asks of successful people.

Questions are also important in selling - especially when selling to CEOs. Read this tip from sales trainer and author, Kelley Robertson.

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Tough Questions Get Results
by Kelley Robertson

Do the questions you ask your prospects and customers make them think? Do they stimulate conversation? Or are they easy to answer because they are safe and barely scrape the surface of your prospect's mind?

The higher up the corporate ladder you sell, the more important it is ask tough questions. If you deal with C- level executives, VP's, and Directors, you will earn their respect by asking more than basic questions. Focus on their goals, objectives, and business challenges. Here are three steps that will help.

First, write out the questions. You cannot afford to fly by the seat of your pants with this so it is critical that you know beforehand what tough questions you plan to ask.

Next, practise verbalizing your questions. This pre-meeting practise is essential because it gets your brain and mouth working together and makes it easier to ask your tough questions during your conversation.

Lastly, rather than bluntly asking a tough question, lead into it. For example, you could say, "I noticed on your website that_______, how is this affecting your third quarter results?" This shows that you have done pre-meeting research and can open the door to a meaningful conversation.

Tough questions are difficult to ask but they will quickly differentiate you from your competition.

Have a productive and profitable week!

Kelley Robertson

http://www.robertsontraininggroup.com/
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If you like what Kelley Robertson says you can subscribe to his newsletter here - http://www.robertsontraininggroup.com/


George Torok

Host of Business in Motion

Secrets of Power Marketing

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for providing the information by Kelley Robertson. It is very informative.