What is your main objective? When you understand what your customer is trying to achieve you can align yourself with their intentions.
How do you plan to achieve that goal? Can you fit into the plan?
What is the biggest problem you currently face? Can you help them solve this problem?
What other problems do you experience? You may not be able to solve their biggest problem, so what other problems can you solve.
What are you currently doing to deal with this?
What is your strategy for the future? These two questions, together give you an outline of the customer’s current direction.
What other ideas do you have? This helps them think out loud and fill in the blanks.
What role do others play in creating this situation? Find out who is contributing to the problem.
Who else is affected? Anyone who is affected by the problem is an ally.
What are you using now?
What do you like most about it?
What do you like least about it? Ask these questions as a group it will tell you what they are buying now, from whom and for how much.
If you could have things anyway you wanted, what would you change? People are resistant to change. “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t” This question allows them to explore possibilities. Can you make their dreams come true?
What effect would this have on the present situation? Bring their dreams into reality.
What would motivate you to change? This question creates the rationale to justify the change, reducing resistance later.
Do you have a preference? If they do you need to know what it is.
What has been your experience? If they have had an unfavourable experience with a competitor you may discover an opportunity.
How do you know? Use a soft tone with this; you want to know where they get their information from and what they base it on.
Is there anything else you would like to see? This helps them think of alternatives.
How much would it be worth to solve this problem?
What would it cost if things remained the same? This sets up the price/cost justification for your proposal. Ask both questions as this allows the prospect to see the two sides of the ROI.
Are you working within a budget? Find out this or are they willing to find the money?
How do you plan to finance it? Where is the money coming from?
What alternatives have you considered? Are they speaking to the competition?
What benefits would you personally realise as a result? People do things for their reasons.
How would others benefit? Will they look good in others eyes?
How can I help? This is a powerful close.
Is there anything I have overlooked? Tie up all the loose ends.
Are there any questions you would like to ask? Encourage your prospects to get all their questions answered.
What do you see as the next step? What you need to do to move forward with the sale.
Who else beside yourself will be involved in making the decision? Keep asking this question of everyone to uncover any hidden decision makers.
On a scale of one to ten how confident do you feel about doing business with us? What would it take to get up to a ten? Lets you know where you stand.
Are you working to a deadline?
How soon would you like to get started?
When would you be in a position to take delivery? These are all time frame questions; if there is no time frame there will be no urgency to make a decision.
When could we get together to discuss this? Let them make the appointment.
Is there anything else you would like me to care of? Don’t miss any other opportunities that may exist for your products.
