Learn how you question a customer

The art of selling is something I never get tired of talking, thinking or reading about. No matter how good you are at it, you can always learn a thing or two.

Which is why I wanted to point you to a great little column on US website Inc about the four sales questions that always irritate customers.

The questions are ones that may well be in the arsenal of you or your salesperson:

1. Would you agree that…?
2. If I could save you 15%, would you be interested…?
3. Do you have a budget for this?
4. Are you the decision-maker?

Let’s focus on the last one, because it is one that I am probably guilty of making my sales people ask – I am always barking at them to find the decision-maker and go to them.

But Inc’s Geoffrey James suggests this question can be patronising and demeaning if the person you are talking to is not the decision-maker.

Fair point. His alterative is asking who are the stakeholders within the business? Not only will you get an idea of who presses the “go” button, but you’ll also come away with a much better idea of how the business runs what it sees as important.

It’s a great way of looking at things. Get it done – today!