125 Really Sad Questions From Salespeople

<p>Three woeful contributions from salespeople include "we have this widget", "you should have it?" and "we can discount the price".  What a mess right there.  Yet, left to their own devices, this is the type of nonsense salespeople say to clients.  Serving the client's best interests is job one for salespeople, so why aren't they having a proper conversation with the buyer?  </p> <p> </p> <p>They are untrained, unprofessional and unskilled.  What should they be saying?  We don't have anything for the buyer, until we have some idea of what they need.  Going through the detail of the latest release, model, new variation etc.,  is pointless.  Yet out come the brochures, detailing the spec, trying to lure buyers with glossy photos and copywriting.  This has its place, of course, but timing is everything.  The buyer wants it in pink, but we don't know that.  If we head off on a monologue about the wonder of our blue range, we are going to get nowhere - glossy photos or otherwise.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ask the buyer about where they are now with their business and then where they want to be?  The size of the gap tells the salesperson whether they are the one with the solution to closing that gap or not.  If the gap is not so large, better to go and find a buyer who has the opposite situation.  Don't waste anyone's time any further.</p> <p> </p> <p>If there is a sizable gap, ask why they haven't filled it in themselves already.  What an ace question!  In this answer is the hint as to whether we have the magic answer to solve their problem.  Listening to them, we may however discover that we don't have what they need.  No need for wrestling the buyer to the ground and trying to force them to buy.  Get out of there as fast as polite and go find someone who you can provide with a solution.</p> <p> </p> <p>The next question in this escalation is about their why. There are usually four “whys”.  There is the unit why, the division why, the company why and then their own personal why.  Their personal why is the key driver of buyer