Can changing one word in your question really make a difference?

When people share information, they tend to share fractionally. As a result, there are many opportunities in your everyday conversations to say, “Tell me more.” When interacting with best friends, saying, “Tell me more,” will generally cause people to expound on whatever the topic is that’s being discussed.

For salespeople who are forging new relationships, however, it’s a little different. Notice that the phrase, “Tell me more…” is actually a command. But, if you don’t yet have an in-depth relationship, commanding a prospective customer to “tell you more” can sound a bit presumptuous.

Instead, ask, “How do you mean?”

Try this experiment. Next time someone says or asks you something, simply respond by saying, “How do you mean?” If you button up, they will share two, three, four, or five paragraphs of additional information. That’s a pretty good return on investment in response to four words, don’t you think?

Of course, a grammarian who sits through our training will often point out that “What do you mean?” is more grammatically correct. That’s true! I’m just more focused on increasing the productivity of my conversations than conforming to grammar rules.

Here’s the difference. Asking, “What do you mean?”, generally causes people to go backwards in the conversation, by revisiting or justifying what they just said. But in sales, we’re not wanting to go backward. Rather, we want the other person to share more detail.

By asking, “How do you mean?”, you won’t have to worry about grammar. Whenever you deliver these four words, what people really hear is: “I am very interested in what you just said, can you please tell me more?”

Do people like it when you’re interested in what they have to say? Yes, absolutely!

Salespeople have been taught to probe for needs, because they want to find out what is important to the customer. While focusing on the customer’s concerns is a noble goal, be careful because asking questions that are overly rhetorical is one of the quickest ways to erode your credibility and end the conversation.

For example, here are some DON’Ts:

            “Mr. Customer, is value important to you?”

            “I bet quality and integrity are also important decision factors, aren’t they?”

            “Most customers want to make a smart choice, wouldn’t you agree?”

To all of these, I say, “Duh!”

Instead of asking questions that seem rhetorical, salesy, or patronizing, try asking:

“Mr. Customer, knowing that most customers want to make the best overall decision, besides the obvious goals of quality, integrity, and securing the best value, what specifically are you wanting to accomplish with this purchase?”

To provide value, sellers must first identify a need. Pretty much, everybody knows that! The difficult part is transitioning the conversation into needs development.

For example, suppose a customer says, “Tell me about your company and product.” Although it happens quite frequently, it’s a mistake for a salesperson to respond by saying, “First, I’d like to ask you some questions.”

This response creates a logic problem, where the customer wants the conversation to go in one direction, yet the salesperson responds, essentially by saying, “I rather pursue my own agenda.”

The easiest and best way to transition a conversation into needs development is as follows:

Customer: “Tell me about your company and product.”

Salesperson: “I’d be happy to. Can I ask you a couple specifics about your project so I can give you the most relevant and accurate information?”

Customer: “Absolutely!”

Once someone gives you permission (a mini-invitation) to ask them questions, instead of running the risk of sounding self-serving, asking “a couple specifics” is now exactly what they want you to do. Also, note that when someone gives you permission to ask them questions, you get more information that is more in-depth and more accurate.

Well, almost always.

In the role of professional salesperson, customer’s are going to ask questions, right? In return, you want to provide intelligent responses with valuable insight or information.

When you respond, would you rather respond with what might be considered to be average value, or would you rather respond with maximum value? If you want to provide maximum value, you might want to invest a few moments to understand their real question before answering.

For example, when deliver QBS training in a remote city, I sometimes ask a local person in the audience, “What’s the best way to get from here to the airport?”  Invariably, the person gives me directions.

But, what would happen if I got to the airport and the nice person behind the ticket counter said, “I’m sorry to tell you, but you’re at the wrong airport!”

Dallas, Houston, and Chicago all have two commercial airports. There are three commercial airports that service Wash, DC, Boston, and four that service New York City. Surprisingly, no one ever asks me which airport I’m heading to before giving me directions.

Here’s how I would give directions if you asked me, “What’s the best way to get to the Atlanta airport?” I would say, “That depends, what time is your flight?” I might then ask, “Do you have to return a rental car?” I might even inquire, “How familiar are you with the area?” Now I can give specific and valuable directions.

Wouldn’t you give different directions (or product information) to someone who was very familiar with the area than someone who was completely lost?

Just as most people share fractionally, many customers won’t ask their complete question. It is, therefore, incumbent on sellers to ask a few clarifying questions to understand more specifically what is being asked, if you wish to provide maximum value in your responses.