The Art of the Probing Question

To fully understand what products and services your client needs, you need to learn about their pain.  What isn’t working?  Why doesn’t it work?  How does that affect their business?  These questions are all about establishing the specific needs of your customer, and bringing those needs to the front of your mind and theirs.  (Make notes of the answers!)  Probing questions should be a major part of every sales call you ever make.  Finding a way to discuss what your client finds to be a problem and then keeping them talking about it is the bread and butter of daily sales work.  It tells you what to sell them.  

The question I get a lot from sales pros is this: How do I work them in without sounding like I'm interrogating the prospect?

Let’s use the example of a vacuum sales pro.  “What’s the dirtiest area in your house?” “Does anyone in your home have allergies?”  “Who uses the vacuum at your home?”  “Do you vacuum the stairs or curtains?”  “Will you be vacuuming hard floors, or carpeting, or both?”  These are all probing questions that will help the salesperson guide the consumer to the right product, while also reminding the shopper of all of the ways they use their vacuum.  It might come off a little abrupt without some polishing.

You need to open the conversation with a warm greeting, and ask about their goals for having a new machine first.  Then you keep the conversation focused on the customer by responding to whatever they say as a person first, and following up with a professional option, second.  

Client: I want to finally get rid of the dog hair in my carpet once and for all!  You: I know! That can be so aggravating!  That's why Acme Corp designed this Pet Defender model.  Pet hair is removed in one pass.  No extra work!  Now you can move on to your next probing question.  You: What kind of dogs do you have?

Focus on the problem.  Every product or service represents a solution to a want or a need.  The right probing questions will lead to a sense of urgency on the buyer’s part.  All probing questions should focus on the pain, or how the solution will be implemented.  What problems has the unmet need caused?  How it will affect their life or business the longer their need goes unmet?  Does this need arise often?  How long has it been unmet already?  How would it be if the need were met today? 

Sometimes the consumer doesn’t know there is a solution available for a need, so they don’t mention the need.  If our vacuum sales pro doesn’t mention the robot vacuum that cleans floors by itself, how many will he sell?  If he asks how much time people “waste” vacuuming rooms that could “clean themselves,” would he sell more?

Picture your conversational flow like this: Client information>respond like a human, then with a professional option< ask the next probing question. Remember, as the sales pro your job is to provide the best possible solution to the problem or need.  You can't assume the prospect knows what all of their options are, even if they tell you they do!   Ask the right questions, enhance their urgency to buy, and sell them the right solutions.  You're right on target.

Build New Business in 6 Simple Steps

Your New Business pitch needs to have a plan, but not a script. (In some cases, your pitch will have some language you use verbatim in every sale. If you have disclosures, they are usually mandated to include certain language.) Strong outlines and agendas for New Business calls are very effective. Rote-memorized scripts are not. What follows are skills and dynamics to add into your outlines and agendas. Stay in control of the conversation to hit your agenda points, and use these tools to educate, excite, and close your prospect.

Start building a pitch sheet. The goal is to present your product in the context of your prospect's business or life. Each heading below should prompt you to add specific concepts, questions, or phrases to your sheet. From there you can build an agenda of how you’d like your New Business calls to run, and polish some lines for your pitch.

Feature – A feature of a product is something positive and observable or concrete. It will include something that sets your product apart, like “leather seats” or “lightweight.”

Benefit – The way in which the customer’s situation is improved by the product. “Added comfort” or “time-saving” are benefits. They define experiences, not something concrete.

Differential Advantage – The differential advantage is the reason your product is the right choice for your customer, as opposed to other alternatives. Ex: When it comes to rain gear, most of us would like to stay dry, with style and durability for our money. When we’re at Niagara Falls and getting hit with spray from the falls, the flimsy little plastic pullovers at the merchandise stands have the differential advantages of being on site, and inexpensive.

Probing Questions - To fully understand what products and services your client needs, you need to learn about their pain. You need to ask questions. What isn’t working? Why doesn’t it work? How does that affect their business? These questions are all about establishing the specific needs of your customer, and bringing those needs to the front of your mind and theirs. Make notes of the answers. Probing questions should be a major part of every sales call you ever make. Finding a way to discuss what your client finds to be a problem and then keeping them talking about it is the bread and butter of daily sales work. It tells you what to sell them. Depending on your product or service, you may want to set a minimum number of probing questions for each interaction. I always aim for at least three, even on a grip and grin visit, and there is no upper limit.

Focus on the problem/solution equation - Every product or service represents a solution to a want or a need. Focus less on your product, and more on the needs of the prospect. The right probing questions will lead to a sense of urgency on the buyer’s part. Encourage them to discuss how the solution will be implemented. The answer to any of the following questions can lead you to a solution-implementation conversation. What specific problems has the unmet need caused? How it will affect their life or business the longer their need goes unmet? Does this need arise often? How long has it been unmet already? How would it be if the need were met today?

Goal-setting – What are your prospect’s goals? It doesn’t matter if they seem to relate directly to your product at this point! Understanding what the prospect is working toward will give you more context for how they will make buying decisions. (If your prospect plans to sell their business within 5 years, and your solution will take 8 years to pay for itself, you may not want to emphasize the short term return on investment in your conversation.) Immediate, short term, and long term goals all matter to your current conversation. Of equal importance, they matter to your follow-up visits. Even if your prospect doesn’t buy today, you’ll have a relevant subject to discuss next time you talk – how’s that goal coming along? Remembering their goals (make notes!) and taking an interest makes you an ally, not just a supplier.

These steps will close more new business.  Incidentally, they'll also close more repeat business.  Commit to your agenda before you set foot in the door. Ask your questions, and present your product or service in the context of the client's world.  Help them see how buying from you helps them meet their goals.  You'll build your client base, and have more loyal customers. 

Shake Off Your Stale Sales Pitch

We all learn them: Long pitch, short pitch, elevator speech, card-passing catch phrase...  They are useful; they help us stay on track when we're nervous, and help us cover all the high points in the face of distractions.  And sadly, they can be total killers of a relationship with a current of potential client. 


Everyone wants to buy, and no one wants to be sold.  As sales professionals, we are the least likely to tolerate being "pitched" anything.  So why do we do it as often as we do?  The pitch is a last resort, a checklist, and definitely NOT the relationship builder we need in this competitive market.  So what works? 


Have the client sell themselves.  It's easier than it sounds.  Everyone wants to talk about themselves, their successes, their challenges, and the "obstacles" they have to overcome.  There are a series of questions most clients will find attractive enough to answer, even when they are pressed for time.  In general, they involve asking about current successes, future goals, and challenges to be overcome. When your client answers, they're giving you all the information you need to tailor your offerings to their current situation, and to where they want to be headed. 


Ask targeted probing questions.  We have all sat through dozens of seminars telling us to use probing questions, but no one seems to talk about targeting them.  Read recent press releases, and ask questions based on the image the company is trying to present.  "What made you decide to expand into the Syracuse market?"  Notice their differential advantage, and ask how that focus is working out.  "Your free delivery is the only one in the industry.  Have you seen a change in your customer retention?"  It doesn't matter whether these facts are related to your product or service - it matters that the client understand you are interested in the overall health and productivity of his business.  These questions make you an ally, not a salesman.  Now you're entering the "trusted advisor" stage of the relationship, and that's where you want to be.


Separate features from benefits.  When we deliver a feature and follow it up with a benefit, we can easily fall into a pitch.  When we start with a benefit, "Our customers hire us so they don't have to be experts in small business banking," it's easier to stay client focused.  "How much time do you want your people to spend managing your banking needs?"  Listen to the answer.  The client will tell you where he wants his staff focusing their attention.  Now incorporate those answers into a targeted outline of the features your product/service offers.  "Introducing a new product line in your company is what you excel at.  We would be happy to manage your payroll and credit card processing for you.  We'll save you time, money, and most important, take away that distraction from what you're in business to do."


Keep business and executive profile notes.  This is a must for prospective and new clients, as well as a great way to focus your meetings for existing ones.  If you have existing customers who aren't giving you enough of their business, it's time to make an appointment to "update their business profile."  What is the company's current focus?  What are they moving away from?  What do they see as their biggest strength?  Who are their primary and secondary competition?  Who are the key players, and what is their contact information?  Does their business run deadline-driven cycles?  What are those deadlines or cycles?  When is the most convenient time to contact the decision makers?  Point out that you want to be a resource to their company, and ask what else you should know to make that happen.  Don't sell in these conversations.  Let the customer come to you.  These questions encourage the most honest and creative statements on the part of the customer, and listening is what you need to do.  As you stand up to leave, offer to make a separate appointment to present solutions to their needs.  "I'd like to consider what you've told me and tailor some materials for you to address (this need)."  Your customer will ask you to stay if they have time, and make an appointment to learn more if they don't. 

How Does Your Sale Flow?

Sales Flow.  We know it's important.  How do you develop one?  Let's get specific.

Sales Flow is the process used with the customer to result in the sale.  It's the difference between being a sales professional and being an order-taker.  (Professionals are in control of the process, and order-takers wait to be told what is being purchased.)  Sales flow always includes the same pieces, and what varies is the order.  What never varies is the sales professional stays in control of the conversation.

Omitting any of the pieces of the flow seriously damages your chance of getting the sale.  Even if the customer is chomping at the bit, desparate to buy.  If you don't get through the entire sales process you risk a buyers-remorse cancel, or worse, an unhappy customer who doesn't cancel - they just badmouth you for the length of the relationship.

So what's the flow?  These are the necessary pieces.

Interview - Probing Questions - Qualifying - Need Recognition
These are many words for basically the same thing.  You are questioning the customer about how they're meeting the product need right now, and how they've determined that it's time to talk to you.  Let's use the car salesman as an example.  "What are you driving now?"  "Is this car your primary vehicle?"  "What has you shopping for a vehicle today?"   "What's your dream car?" "What kind of driving do you do the most?" "Do you have anything in particular in mind?" It's particularly effective to combine this step with the "Excitement" step.

Establish Relationship
The reason a salesperson is involved in this sale is the product sells best in a relationship sale.  You need to create a positive relationship with each of your prospects.  Your personality needs to be involved - no robotic conversation here.  Notice everything about the customer that you can.  If they have a bumper sticker about fishing, ask them about fishing.  Let them be the expert.  Relate the attributes of the vehicles back to fishing.  Even if you personally hate fishing (or kids, or antiquing, or whatever they love) find questions that bridge the gap between their passion and your product.

Excitement - Drive - Desire - Urgency
A prospect who is not excited is unlikely to become a customer.  If you're selling cars and saying cars are a necessary evil in today's modern world, your chances of making the sale are much lower than if you're talking about the seat-of-the-pants thrill of feeling the car accellerate with just a flick of the gas pedal.  You need to generate excitement for using the product.  This is the difference between presenting features and benefits and creating urgency for the customer to buy.

Presentation and Disclosure
Features, benefits, and disclosures need to be presented consistently throughout the interaction.  (Features are important facts about the product or service being sold, usually ones unique to your particular product or service.  Benefits are advantages the customer will receive by purchasing your product or service.  Disclosure is making the customer aware of what most of us think of as "small print."  This is any agreement or assumption of liability between the parties involved in the sale.)  Weave the features and benefits through, touching on each one several times.  Touching on the disclosures only once, or providing them in writing instead of discussing them helps to keep the focus on the positive.  If the customer asks about the details of any disclosure, handle them as directed by your
manager.

Close the Sale
This is the part we all love!  The prospect becomes a customer, and commits to the purchase. This is the time to emphasize benefits.  Ask for the customer's business.  Thank them for their business.  Discuss things past the sale, like delivery dates or what the client will feel when they are in possession of the product.  This step also works well when woven through the entire sale process.  "Trial" closes keep your finger on the pulse of your prospect's excitement level.  Checking on what delivery date would be good, or what tow hitch fits well on this vehicle in the beginning or middle of the process can appear to be simple note-taking to the customer while subtly moving your sales agenda forward.