Anyone who’s undertaken even the most basic of sales training understands the importance of using open questions at the start of the sales process; they’re used to explore the challenges that a prospect may be facing and encourage them to open up and talk about their business.
So here are 10 killer open questions you can use to get your new prospect talking.
1. What are your goals for the next [3, 6, or 12] months?
2. What’s stopping you from achieving these goals?
3. How will it feel when you achieve these goals?
4. What does your boss hope to accomplish in the next year?
5. What are the top three problems you’re trying to solve?
6. How does your company evaluate new products or services before buying?
7. Why would you commit time and resources to something that’s low to medium priority?
8. Tell me about your average day. How would this solution impact your daily work?
9. Why is this a priority for you now?
10. Who are you doing business with now? Why did you choose that vendor?
Qualifying questions are arguably one of the most important parts of the sales process. They tell you if you can help your prospect, and provide the intelligence you need to know exactly how to help them.
Don’t rush it, be thoughtful in your questioning, and reap the benefits of a question well-asked.
You can read more about questioning techniques in my book “It’s All About The Value”
If you or your sales team could use help in improving how they qualify sales opportunities, then get in touch.
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