In my article entitled, "Become a Trusted Advisor", I offered some tips and advice on becoming a trusted advisor. In large part, you can be a trusted advisor to your prospects and customers by learning all about them, their business and their industry. Ways to do that include researching your prospect's business and industry before you meet with him and asking lots of good questions when you do meet. 

This is the first in a series of articles that will: 

• Explore what makes some questions better than others;
• Look at types of questions to ask;
• Illustrate what questions are appropriate to the authority level and goals of your prospect/contact;
• Look at methods of asking questions – some much more effective than others;
• Help you stay on track with your questions without jumping ahead in the sales process;
• Help you think of questions that will describe your unique value proposition; and
• Help you "teach" your prospects to buy from you. 

The effective questioner 

You can ask questions any number of ways. Commonly, salespeople who are anxious to "tell" the prospect about what they offer resort to a perfunctory interview method of asking questions. They genuinely want to learn about their prospects but only at a basic level. They want to make a friend of their prospect, sometimes at the expense of asking the most revealing strategic level questions. These salespeople ask "least likely to offend" questions aimed at gathering the most easily attainable, baseline knowledge about their prospects. They use what they learn to launch into their presentation, often without regard for whether their prospect is ready for it. 

At the opposite end of the likeability scale, some salespeople "interrogate" their prospects. They pound away with question after question, leaving the prospect feeling put-upon and "bloodied." These salespeople might get some useful information for their efforts but they have likely destroyed any rapport they may have had or hoped to have with the prospect. So that useful information they gathered may be unusable. These are the same type of salespeople who feel that they need to compete with their prospects and look for ways to outsmart and corner them rather than working with them to achieve their goals. 

Your goal should be to ask questions in a manner that will establish trust and credibility and that draws out your prospect's priorities. 

Begin by doing your homework before meeting with your prospect. The more information you gather and understand about your prospect, their business and their industry before you meet with them the better the foundation for further discussion. 

Access information about your prospects on their Websites; on the Internet; in their annual reports; in their brochures and other literature; from other vendors who are doing business with them; in the business section of their local newspaper; and myriad other places. Learn about their background; their products or services; their customers; competing companies; and their core mission. 

When you come prepared to have a productive meeting, your prospects will appreciate that you're not just on a "fishing expedition." You'll be able to ask more pointed and thoughtful questions leading to a strategic level discussion of your prospect's needs. You'll earn the right to continue your conversation with them. And you'll be able to use the knowledge you gain to propose a solution that details how your product or service will meet their specific needs and solve their problems. 

Start your questions 

The stage is set. You've done your homework. You've scheduled a meeting with your prospect. Now it's time to ask your questions. 

But, unlike the examples described above, don't just dive in like an "interrogator" or squander the opportunity like the "interviewer." Instead, begin a conversation, a dialog, with your prospect during which you help them to identify and prioritize their needs, problems, wants and goals. Ask them lots of questions. Learn about their business, filling in gaps in your prior research. Help them identify and articulate their pain and set priorities for relieving it. Help them see the value to their business, and to them personally, in choosing your solution for their problems; or conversely, to illustrate the consequences of maintaining the status quo relative to their capacity to meet their goals or relieve their pain. 

Your prospects will be impressed that you have taken the time to learn something about them and their needs instead of just assuming that your "one size fits all" solution is right for them. 

That's it for today. Check back here in a couple weeks for the next installment of this series. 

Ó 2006 Patrick A. Hassett. All rights reserved. 

SalesNow! helps businesses increase their sales, their profits and their customer loyalty by teaching them customer focused sales techniques, high-level customer service and customer relationship management. 

Pat Hassett, President and Founder of SalesNow!, draws on more than 30 years experience in sales, sales management and sales support in a number of industries. He specializes in helping non-traditional salespeople become competent and confident in their sales efforts. 

Additional Resources: 

• Visit the SalesNow! article archive for more articles on a variety of topics related to sales, customer service and customer relationship management.
• Visit http://blog.PatHassett.com for more tips and advice to help you increase your sales, your profits and your customer loyalty. 

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