Educating With Questions
Sometimes when I enroll someone into ongoing reinforcement training, a significant time commitment to the classroom, they are concerned. Their concern is that they will be going back to that ìschool placeî where theyíll sit in the back row while the instructor drones on at the blackboard, lecturing all they need to know about the subject--the typical academic model.
They find in our classes that the student is talking more than listening. They realize while they are mastering new skills that help them get control of selling situations and get more comfortable asking ìtoughî questions, that a more efficient learning model is being applied. This model requires that the instructor ask questions that help students to discover for themselves. You can lead your prospects to discover your strengths by using the same process.
The Socratic MethodDavid Sandler the sales expert always said: ìWhen youíre telliní, youíre not selliní.î But if you arenít ìtelliníî on a sales call, how is your prospect going to find out about your product or service? We look to Socrates the philosopher for the answer to this question; for he was the ultimate teacher, who learned that the best way to educate his pupils was through asking questions, not lecture. His approach to teaching truth by asking questions is ìThe Socratic Methodî
This powerful method of conveying information can be used just as effectively in selling by asking questions of prospects in ways that lead them to ìdiscoverî relevant ìtruthsî about your product or service.
Below are examples of questions you may want to adapt and use to convey value to your prospects:
ìI donít supposeÖî
For example, if you suspect a prospect has doubts about how quickly they could recover an investment in your product or service you might ask : ì I donít suppose being able to recover your investment in a year or less would have a major impact on your decision, would it?
ìLetís pretendÖî
You can get a prospect to visualize their future with you in it by suggesting: ìLetís pretend that you could reduce your scrap rate and documentation by implementing the system; would that be important?î
ìIf I were to sayÖî
You can find out how a prospect might react to an assertion by first asking them how they would react, like: ìIf I were to say that you could make your process zero-discharge, what would you say?î
ìÖ is that a fair statement?î
Or you can simply declare something that you think is true about your prospect and then confirm it by asking: ìSignificantly reducing scrap rates and documentation would have a positive impact on your bottom line. Is that a fair statement?î
ìDid we discussÖ?î
A soft way to open conversation on another feature or benefit of your product is to ask: ìDid we discuss the fact that no special training is needed for the people who would operate the system?î
ìIf I were to suggest (say)Ö what would you do (say, do, think)?î
If a prospect stalls because theyíve come upon an insurmountable obstacle, but you can see a potentially creative solution, you could reveal it by asking: ìIf I were to suggest that you might fund the equipment lease through your supply budget, what would you think?î
ìSometimes, Iím asked Ö were you going to ask me that?î
And if the same ìstickyî question comes up when you talk about a particular product or service, itís good to clear the air by asking: ìSometimes, Iím asked whether this system is ever really effective enough to recover the initial investment. Were you going to ask me that?î
Ask, Then Listen
I hope that this list of examples help you devise good ìvalue discoveryî questions to pose to your prospects. If you find that this ìSocratic Methodî is easy to understand but difficult to apply in your selling effort, maybe we should talk about it. Next time you see your customerís eyes gloss over while you drone on about your product or service, take a tip from David Sandler, ìWhen youíre telliní, youíre not selliní.î