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Quick Sales Questions to Ask #1: โUnpack that for me.โ
This is one of my favorite โquestionsโโand yes, I realize that itโs not technically a question. However, this inquisitive statement is a powerful way to get prospects to delve more deeply into something theyโve mentioned.
Let me give you an example. At the time of writing this, weโre all living through a time of great uncertainty in the marketplace. So, you might encounter a prospect who says something vague such as, โYeah, right now things are just totally insane.โ
Now, most salespeople will respond to that statement with something like, โOh, I know exactly what you mean!โ And then theyโll launch into an ineffective monologue trying to relate to the prospect about how crazy things are right now.
Instead, you should respond to statements like this with, โUnpack that for me.โ A true sales professional wants to learn more. Why did the prospect say things are โtotally insaneโ right now? Is it because of external factors? Or is something going on internally that youโre not aware of? Are things crazy for the prospect right now because of something that you donโt even understand?
The answers to these questions are crucial. Every great salesperson knows to ask quick sales questions to dig deeper at moments like these.
Itโs imperative that you understand your prospect better than any of your competitors do. Quick sales questions like โUnpack that for meโ allow you to set yourself apart and gain deeper access to whatโs really going on in the prospectโs world.
Quick Sales Questions to Ask #2: โWhat is that costing you?โ
This is a high-level sales question. Most salespeople balk at asking this question, thinking itโs way too difficult or confrontational to ask prospects directly about cost.
If youโre one of those salespeople who would never ask a prospect, โWhat is that costing you?โ then I have some bad news for you. You should stop reading this right now and just move on. Because this sales question is only for salespeople who either: A) have guts, or B) really see themselves as true sales professionals.
While pretty much every salesperson today talks to their prospects about some of the challenges theyโre facing, only true sales professionals are willing to dig deep and take that conversation around challenges to the next level of insight.
This is where the sales question, โWhat is that costing you?โ comes into play. Once a prospect has explained a challenge (ideally, a challenge that you solve in your area of expertise), you must dig deeper to understand how much that challenge is actually costing the prospect.
By asking, โWhat is that costing you?โ youโre cutting straight to the chase, while helping the prospect think through the math of the actual value of solving that challenge. Thereโs not much thatโs more powerful than that in a sales conversation. This is a prime example of how short, quick sales questions can transform a sale.
Quick Sales Questions to Ask #3: โWhy is that?โ
โWhy is that?โ is one of my all-time favorite sales questions. Or, if you really want to be a sales ninja, you can also just ask, “Why?”
This simple question is so powerful because it allows you to keep peeling back the layers of the onion in any sales conversation, at any time.
Great salespeople are like detectives. Do you remember the old Columbo TV show? If not, look it up on YouTube real quick. What youโll see is a detective whoโs constantly acting like he’s a little bit dumb, or like he doesn’t fully understand stuff…but really, he’s the smartest person in the room. This is exactly what we want to do in sales.
You should constantly be asking โWhy is that?โ and never assuming that you understand what the prospect means. Make sure you fully understand what they actually meanโand get the prospect to articulate what they mean on their own.
I canโt tell you how many times Iโve heard prospects say, โYou know what? I donโt know why. I havenโt really thought about that. But now that you ask, hereโs what I thinkโฆโ This is pure gold in a sales conversation, and it all comes about through the use of quick sales questions such as โWhy is that?โ
Your ability to take a prospect deeper and deeper into the sales conversation makes all the difference between closing just some sales and closing many, many more sales. And by the way, youโll be doing it at higher prices, because now you’ve established yourself as a real expert.
The next time a prospect says something you donโt fully understandโor really, the next time a prospect says anything at all that seems important or interestingโask, “Why is that?” Keep digging. Try to understand exactly whatโs going on.
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