How To Get Better Answers by Asking Better Sales Questions

What makes a good question? In sales, some think good questions are prepared in advance… that they lead buyers toward the close… that they force buyers to agree with seller, even if on a small point.

These misunderstandings about questions push buyers away. Those kinds of questions aren’t good.

What makes a good sales question?

Good questions draw the buyer toward the seller. Good questions yield useful information while building rapport and trust.

Good questions are not scripted, robotic, crafty or manipulative. Instead, they are natural sounding and follow the logical course of the conversation. They are crafted to pinpoint, with precision, information sellers need before proceeding.

Good discovery starts with broad questions and then narrower ones that are more specific to the sales situation. Sellers who are guided by their own curiosity and ask natural follow-up questions drill down to learn more about key points offered by the buyer.

Good questions lead to good conversations. Good conversations build trust. Good questions make a lasting impression on the buyer and positively differentiates the seller who asks them.

So why don’t sellers ask good questions more often? It’s simply because we don’t pay near enough attention to our own purposes for asking questions! That’s why we end up on go-nowhere fishing expeditions, asking ill-crafted questions that bog down our sales conversations.

It’s easy, though, to build skills for asking purposeful questions that yield much better information. Used wisely, questions are potent connectors.

The impact of asking better sales questions includes:

• Buyers trust sellers who ask quality questions
• Buyers who are engaged are buyers who buy.
• Buyers favor sellers who differentiate themselves by asking quality questions.

To learn about asking quality questions, get the book HubSpot named one of “The Top 20 Most Highly-Rated Sales Books of All Time,” DISCOVER Questions® Get You Connected.