Sales Techniques to Avoid Interrogation

You realize that questions are a critical part of the sales process, but the questions you ask aren't producing the results you want. The way you structure the questions you ask, and the intent behind them have a dramatic impact on the prospect and your results. Questions are an easy way to establish rapport with the prospect, put them at ease, get them to open up to you, and help them to feel comfortable with you. But your questions must demonstrate your sincere interest in the prospect, or they just don't have the desired impact.
This is where many a sales professional gets off track. When you ask questions your questions can't make the prospect feel like you're taking them down a self-serving path. Let me demonstrate what I mean.
Let's use a life insurance agent for our example, and we'll presume the agent has established that the prospect has at least some interest in life insurance to get what they want. So the agents says, andquot;Mr. Prospect you're a man who loves his family, rightandquot;? Mr. Prospect almost has to answer andquot;yesandquot;. The agent might then say, andquot;Mr. Prospect as a man who loves his family you want to make sure their needs are taken care of in the horrible event you aren't able to do so, rightandquot;? Mr. Prospect again almost has to respond andquot;yesandquot;. Then the agent says, andquot;Mr. Prospect because you're a loving man and you want to make certain your family is taken care of, when do you think is the best time to start that protectionandquot;? The agent is expecting Mr. Prospect to say andquot;yesandquot;, but instead he either says andquot;noandquot; or simply objects. What went wrong? The agent is clearly manipulating the prospect. This makes the prospect angry and he loses all trust in the agent. Everything the agent did up to this point to gain the trust of the prospect is lost. And the agent will never be able to regain that trust.
Notice the intent of the agent was self-serving, and it made the prospect feel guilty for having to say andquot;noandquot;. Any prospect will resent being made to feel guilty and they won't trust you. Trust is build thought sincere interest not manipulation. When you're questions become self-serving the whole experience negatively changes for the prospect.
Let's replay our experience with the life insurance agent and see how we could improve it. Now the agent might say, andquot;Mr. Prospect as we've talked today it's become absolutely clear to me that you love your family and want to make sure their needs are always taken care of, how do you see life insurance helping you to take care of your family? Now, shut up and let Mr. Prospect tell you why they want to buy life insurance. As Mr. Prospect talks he's convincing himself of the emotional and financial value of this for him and his family, and all you have to do is help him explore all the possibilities. Then our agent might ask, andquot;Mr. Prospect it sounds like there are a lot of benefits for you and your family, what if anything is keeping you from having that nowandquot;? Again let the prospect talk, and make sure they tell you everything that's on their mind. The biggest reason people avoid decisions is because they're afraid of making the wrong decision, but unless or until you have everything on the table you can't help them to work through that. Finally the agent might say, andquot;Mr. Prospect if I could show you a way to get what you want and a way to work around your current obstacles would you be interested in getting startedandquot;? Mr. Prospect may still be a little gun shy, but they feel like you've fully understood them and their needs so when you show them a solution that works for them they're relieved and ready to go.
It isn't the exact wording that's important it's the difference in the experience for the prospect. In the first example the prospect felt manipulated and resents you for putting them in that situation. In the second example the prospect feels like you're working together toward a common goal, so they like you and trust you. If you were the prospect which agent would you rather sit down with?

About Author:

Author: Cheryl A. Clausen can help you get where you want to be. Find out how your Sales Skills match up. What would happen if you just had more time? Improve your Time Management Skills, check this out. Click here to get your own unique version of this article.

All Best Articles at http://www.allbestarticles.com
You Can Link Directly to "Sales Techniques to Avoid Interrogation"
by using the url: http://www.allbestarticles.com//business/sales/sales-techniques-to-avoid-interrogation.html

Add Your Picture

Article Submitted By: CherylA.Clausen
This Article Has Been Read 371 Times

Publish/Share this article

Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.
Get the HTML for reprinting the article to your site

Rating: Not yet rated

Related information on Sales

Give a try to the classifieds to sell the products

Garage Sale Security Issues

Sales Techniques and Management Strategies

Increase Warehousing Space With Used Pallet Racks Los Angeles

Selecting The Right Scaffolding Temple Hills Services

Work Less But Smart to Grow your Business.

POS Inventory Management Saves Time, Money, and Reduces Shrink

How to Find the Right Retail Point of Sale System for Your Store

Barcode Labels are Part of Major Manufacturing Trends

Built-in Trust: Increase Sales Exponentially with a Strategic Partnerships