A In order to identify if there is any common ground between our organizations, Id like to ask you some questions. Would that be okay?

wasted investigative stage. Unless the salesperson initiates the investigation, the customer, not the consultant, will end up leading the sales call. If the customer controls the call, the seller may discover too late that he or she hasnt learned anything about the customers business or needs. The buyer will be less likely to schedule a second meeting, since he or she hasnt any particular reason to meet with that salesperson again. In the words of Frank McKinney Hubbard, Look out for the fellow who lets you do all the talking. 27

leading the focus on customer needs. Research by The Dartmouth Group showed that on average, the consultant who guides and leads the conversation during the investigative stage ends up talking less and the client talking more. Generally speaking, customers should be talking more than salespeople, because the focus of the call should be on customer problems.28

Heres how Steve could have better handled the sales call. When the customer asked Steve about his bank, Steve should have politely offered a two- or three-minute sound bite. He then should have said something like:

I could talk for hours about our bank, but in order for me to make certain that I am in a position to create as much value for you as possible, do you mind if I ask you a few questions? This way Ill know a lot better what to tell you and what not to bore you with.

ACTION POINTS

4 Lead by asking for permission to ask questions. Its best to ask permission to ask questions early in the sales call. However, there will be additional chances to do this throughout the sales visit

when a consultant might want to gain control or focus of the conversation.

4 Keep the generic information dump brief. Plan ahead of time what youll say, if asked. Keep it short.

4 Focus on information that will link the clients needs to your solutions. Ask yourself, Do I know enough about this customers needs to know what information to give or not give? Dont offer more information until you do. Keep asking questions until you know which needs the customer has identified as problems to be solved.

sales truth 16: The salesperson should control the sales call.

sales trap 17:

The Purpose of Questions Is to Persuade Someone to Do Something

Salespeople mistakenly think the value in selling comes from persuading customers to buy their product or service. They think that the purpose of questions is to convince someone to do something. These statements are partial truths that lead to Sales Trap 17, which has serious consequences.

In spite of the fact that Ive emphasized the power of questions throughout this book, its dangerous for salespeople to believe that the objective of these questions is to get customers to buy. Dont get me wrong. Without a doubt thats one purpose, but it shouldnt be the main purpose. There has been extensive research to support the fact that good questions are excellent persuaders. This is one point that even todays sales researchers are in agreement on. And the persuasive power of questions is hardly new. It goes back to Socrates. This persuasive power is an axiom. It is truth. It is even fact.29 But it doesnt paint the whole picture, and salespeople who focus on the persuasive element of questions miss the point that the purpose of questions should be to create customer value.

SELLING ISNT MANIPULATION

Whats wrong with the idea that questions are intended to persuade? Its manipulative. And manipulation has no place in sales, not only because its unethical, but also because it doesnt work very well compared to other techniques. No one questions the fact that good questions can persuade. However, persuasion is not the most efficient or helpful reason to do business, for either the seller or the customer.

Questions will be perceived as less manipulative if the purpose of the questions is twofold: