EXAMPLES OF EFFECTIVE OPEN QUESTIONS AND THE STAGES OF ASKING THEM

Christopher Czuprynski. Sales Trainer. Author 

About the author

Let's see a drawing showing the professional methodology for asking open questions:

Figure 1. Examples of effective open questions

The above questions (examples 1 and 2) directly focus on the needs of our interlocutors.  Based on training experience and self-practice, I know that many sellers are afraid to ask questions directly about needs. Very often, their sales methods are based on asking numerous questions about all other issues, avoiding specific questions. As a rule, they are doing great with questions about customer interest, general business issues and competition activities. In general, we can say that such general questions are also needed and that the reasons for their use are to help  building relationships. Sellers often try to seek a 'common denominator' in  conversations with people they don't know so well. Unfortunately, this is useful in conversations that are of a friendly nature,

 because there are no specific sales effects. It is not uncommon that a seller who asks numerous questions directly unrelated to needs has a very good relationship with customers, unsupported by real orders and  sales figures. I think the reason for this phenomenon may be in ignorance of the general sales techniques and the structure of the trade conversation. Moreover, it has to do with weak closing skills, which we will discuss even more widely.

However, returning to the suggestions of the questions in Figure 12, let us try to imagine for yourself what effects they can bring in diagnosing needs:

In example 1, the first question asked by the seller is:

1 a) „How does it look issue of buffing new car?”

This is a kind of preliminary question to engage the client in the conversation. The customer's response can be short, but sometimes a broader type response:

"I am looking for a car the best like this..." (customer will replace a specific model)

"I was thinking about the model ... (the customer will replace a specific model), and yet I look for the used car ... (the customer will replace the specific model). My spouse recommends me in turn... (customer will replace a specific model)'.

We can see that the question I suggested ask did not make that customer’s needs have been diagnosed immediately. The result is customer engagement and a brief representation of the purpose of his visit. In this way, the seller already has gained certain information to which he will be able to refer later in the conversation. Provoking dialogue also allows us to overcome all communication difficulties, especially when we talk to the customer for the first time.

I have decided to call the questions such as an initial questions About the author, which are part of the so-called. recognition of initial needs. After ask  them , the seller can calmly return to further conversation, to ask a fundamental questions

Thus, another question has already relates directly to the customer's needs:

1 b)  „What do you pay attention to purchasing a new car?     I mean what matters to you. Many of my customers, for example, are paying attention to:

- comfortable seating, roadholding, elegant cockpit, possibility to carry a variety of sports equipment. Please tell me more about this.

As a rule, the customer will be surprised that we asked a question of this type.  For example, if we assumed that in this example we are dealing with a personal meeting, not a phone call, we will be able to certainly see that the customer, sitting in the chair, very often leans backwards. As a rule, this is a sign that he has been surprised by our question and needs to think more deeply by answering.

So asking question directly referring to the customer's needs: " What do you pay attention to purchasing a new car?" should open up our interlocutor. The seller thus directly seeks to recognize his needs. That is why I called these questions fundamental questions. They are an integral part of recognizing the essential needs of the customer.

Sometimes, however, we are afraid to ask such questions directly. Optionally, we can engage our interlocutor by first presenting the purpose of our questions. I would suggest you do it as follows:

"I would like to prepare a special proposal individually tailored to your needs and preferences. That is why I will ask you for some details"”

"In order to be able to look for the best car that can fully meet your needs, let me ask you a few questions."

In effective identification of our customers' needs, we can therefore distinguish two key stages of the procedure, as will be mentioned further.

STAGES OF IDENTIFYING NEEDS USING OPEN QUESTIONS

Let's take a closer look at the stages of the procedure presented by me in Figure 2:

Figure 2. Needs recognition steps

According to the method I propose, we ask a general question first, which, for example, may be related to the customer's business activities, but this is not a rule. In trying to build relationships with our customers, we do not necessarily have to ask detailed questions right away. We naturally strive to create an atmosphere of respect and dialogue. Therefore, recognizing the customer's needs can begin by provoking it for a broader discussion, by asking an initial open question.

Accordingly, the preliminary question I have proposed is as follows (example 2):

"What model of car do you specifically look for"

By asking questions of this type, we try to get to know the first customer choices and provoke a discussion. By the way, it is important that we do not criticize the choices of our customers in any way. For example, if the first customer search fell on an Opel car, we cannot criticize it under any circumstances. It will be much better to ask: "What prompted you to choose this brand? What specific features does Opel have that you became interested in this car model?"

Initial questions can give us a lot of valuable information regarding customer needs. Sometimes they open ourselves up to that we get similar answers as if we were asking fundamental questions. A lot depends on the readiness to open our client. It is also extremely important to open our conversation.

Returning to Figure 13, the next step after initial needs analysis is to ask the main questions (RECOGNITION OF FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS). As an example, I used the following question:

“What selection criteria will you suggest? 

 Many customers pay attention to: comfortable seats, road sticking, elegant cockpit, the ability to carry various sports equipment and many other factors. What can be important to you?"?”

Suggested answers should include broader information that will allow us to recognize the deeper needs of our customers.

Further examples of basic questions are:

“What is important to you in your decision making?”

“What specific features do you care about?”

"What are You paying attention to cooperate with companies like mine?

Each of the above questions should lead a sales conversation in such a direction that our customers share their needs with us. Of course, you can, of course, expand the above list with your own questions that you will try during real conversations with customers. Remember all the interrogative pronouns specific to open questions:  what,  how,  why     (best replaced by "What is the cause? " , "What is the reason?") and techniques consisting in additional customer involvement in providing broader responses.

I hope that the above guidelines will be useful for You in formulating your own strategies for recognizing your customers' needs. In order to be able to present it for you, and above all, to make you start your own adventure with asking open questions, I will share with you further tips in the form of certain rules. The rules of asking questions in sales