Jean-Pierre Lauzier, consultant, speaker in sales and author of the book “Le coeur aux ventes”, regularly gives his advice of personal and commercial development on Isarta Infos. Today, he draws up a structured list of questions in order not to forget anything during a customer meeting.
It will be very difficult for you to be successful in sales if you spend more time talking about your products than asking the right questions that will help you understand the customer’s concerns and desires.
You’re probably among the majority of salespeople who know that to be successful, they have to ask their customers a lot of questions, but surprisingly few do. And why don’t you do it? Because, very often, the customer shows his impatience by refusing to answer your questions, because he feels manipulated and hates being controlled.
In order to eliminate the feeling of manipulation felt by the client and to have the privilege of knowing his needs better, you must respect two conditions that will guarantee that your questions are relevant. First, the customer must feel that your primary objective is to sincerely help him achieve or obtain what he wants, and second, he must consider you as an expert in your field of activity, because a customer likes to deal with a salesperson who brings him value. Without these two elements, it will be very difficult to apply the approach I am proposing.
A 5-step framework
In order to properly sequence your questions, I suggest a five-step approach. Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable when you first apply it; you must persevere, and after a while, you will feel more at ease and its application will be much more natural.
Here are five suggested steps to structure your questions when talking to a client:
- Step 1: their past;
- Step 2: their present
- Step 3: their future;
- Step 4: their expectations of this project;
- Step 5: the conditions for success.
Now, let’s look at each of these steps in detail.
Step 1: The past
Knowing your interviewee’s past and that of his or her company will help you understand the decisions that have already been made and those that will be considered in the future. Here are some sample questions to ask.
About the person:
- How long have you worked for this company?
- Where are you from? Have you held other positions in this firm?
- What are your responsibilities?
About the company :
- How did the company begin its operations?
- Who are the shareholders or owners?
- What are your product lines and what is their relative importance?
- What is the company’s position in the market?
Step 2: The Present
Even if you have a good knowledge of the market, you need to know what specific and unique elements apply to this customer. Sample questions:
- How do you operate (go deep)
- What works well and what doesn’t?
- Why do you work the way you do?
- Why did you make this or that decision?
Step 3: The Future
You need to know the goals, objectives and priorities for both the company and the department, and if possible, even for your main contact. Sample questions:
- What are your company’s goals for the next twelve months? For the next five years?
- What are the company’s priorities? What are your departmental priorities?
- What are your biggest challenges?
- What are your concerns, desires, irritants, problems?
Step 4: Project expectations
Understanding and grasping the “project expectations in terms of results” will allow you to measure the positive impact you could have on the client. Examples of questions :
- What do you expect to achieve by implementing our solution?
- In how many months or years do you expect to obtain these results?
- How will you measure them?
- What problems do you want to solve?
Step 5: Project Qualification
You need to qualify the likelihood of this opportunity, i.e., what are the obstacles or challenges that will need to be overcome in order for there to be a marriage between the two parties, and whether the winning conditions are present on both sides. Sample questions:
- When do you want to move forward with this project?
- What is the order of magnitude of your budget for this project?
- Who else is involved in this decision?
- If you don’t go ahead with this solution, what will be the consequences?
Examples of questions to ask to find out where your client qualifies you :
- What are your top three selection criteria?
- What is most important to you in choosing a partner?
- Every time you meet with a potential client, make sure you have a well-structured list of questions on hand or in your mind so you don’t forget anything.
Remember, the client will choose you if he is convinced that, thanks to your high level of expertise, you can help him get what he wants, and the best way to demonstrate both (help and expertise) is by asking lots of good questions.
Good questioning!
