Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector

A couple of weeks ago I conducted a sales training workshop with a sales team in a medium sized market – nothing unusual about that. 

The part you’ll be interested in was what happened when I moved onto a key area: the importance of questioning in the sales process. How the right questions can help uncover valuable information. 

Several of the team expressed extreme discomfort in asking questions about anything other than advertising or marketing. In their opinion those were the only questions the prospect would expect to be asked. They genuinely believed that to ask about the prospect’s business challenges, customers, competition, future plans was considered prying or an invasion of privacy. 

Questioning reluctance 

Unfortunately what they articulated is a feeling many sales people have, they just don’t say it out loud. They’re afraid to ask questions because it feels like interrogating prospective customers or they simply don’t know what questions to ask. It’s called “Questioning Reluctance” it’s the cousin of “Call Reluctance” and it’s more common that you’d think. 

On the subject of questions, here’s one every sales person needs to answer: 

“Why would your prospect consider buying what you sell?” 

If your answer is our price, our audience or our programming, fantastic and good luck! 

Find the need 

Most of you would reply that the prospect would only consider buying if you can clearly demonstrate how your station or network can help with business challenges or drive opportunities – in other by uncovering needs. 

The only way to find out what those challenges or opportunities are is via questioning – it’s a core sales essential, regardless of the techniques you use. Asking smart well thought through questions is part of a structured, linear process, and fundamental to your sales success. 

Asking questions is unavoidable: Learning to ask questions with ease and confidence has a marked, positive impact on your results. 

70/30 rule 

The best media salespeople, those at the top of the game, spend around 70% of the time with prospects asking questions and listening; but just 30% talking about themselves or their product. 

About the author 

Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.
He can be contacted at [email protected]