Sales and Service folks have to walk a fine line when responding to a prospect’s first question. If they give a short answer, the prospect can take them down a road to a dead end: “Okay, that’s all I need to know. Thanks very much.”
But if they’re too long-winded, a prospect may lose patience: “I don’t want the runaround; just give me a straight answer.”
Staying one step ahead
It’s a good idea to try to stay one move ahead of the prospect. Sales and Service personnel can do this by asking themselves, “How will the prospect respond to my response?
If they come up blank, the conversation is usually headed for a dead end. Example: “What’s your delivery time?”
Dead-end answer: “Two weeks.”
The better question: “Is two weeks quick enough?”
With the second response, your company has the next move. If the buyer says yes, they’re ready to close. If the buyer says no, the door is open to find out what he or she still needs.
Avoid closed-ended questions
Closed-ended questions like “How much?” “How often?” or questions that produce a yes or no don’t reveal much about the customer.
Adapted from the book “The Little Red Book of Selling,” by Jeffrey Gitomer, a sales trainer.
