Asking the right questions

You can improve the quality of questioning during sales calls by spending five minutes before each call thinking about these points:

Determine the answers you need to find out. Choose pieces of missing information that you must get from the prospect.

Try to phrase your questions in an effective manner. If you phrase your questions poorly, you may get loaded, self-serving or defensive answers.

Ask your questions in an appropriate sequence. No matter how appropriate your questions are, you may not get the information you need if they're asked in the wrong order.

Look for specific information about buyers' needs. What are the specific results that the prospect expects to gain from what you're selling?

Try to find more information about competitors. What are their primary strengths and weaknesses? What is the price differential between you and your competitors? Is price a major factor with this prospect?