Sales Call: Did You Ask Why?

When you go on a sales call your job is simple. It is to actively listen and learn. You are to be a creative problem solver. Your job is to ask deep questions that are open ended in nature.

This week, I am giving you some tangible questions to ask on a sales call. These are only some of the many questions I like salespeople to ask or be thinking of on a sales call.

By the way, in case you missed it, here is a link to last week’s PI video that will help you perform better when you are not asking questions. This week, work on asking these questions and watch how much more you learn. So here it goes and I hope this proves helpful to you in trying to land new business.

• Ask open-ended questions (who, what, where, when, why, how, how much, tell me about it, describe for me).
• Ask about the corporate structure. Culture. Decision-making process.
• Ask about the contact’s role at the company. Who else do you need to know?
• Ask what risks they perceive in choosing new printing partners.
• Ask what their biggest business problem is and/or what they need solved.
• Ask what things their current print partner does the best.
• Ask what they have on their wish list that could be done better.
• Ask how rapid changes in our world are affecting their marketing plans.
• Ask "what if?" questions. Hypothetical.
• Ask "what is our next step?"

So, there you go. These are a few questions you can tuck away and use—or make your own—and thus gather more information on your sales call. As I always tell a salesperson, if they don’t ask good questions, they often do not learn much and spend their time talking instead of listening. Thus, I tell the salesperson...I know as much about the sales call and I did not even go. I encourage you to be strategic this week in your sales calls. #MakeItHappen