If you ask the wrong questions, surprise surprise, you’ll get the wrong answers. It has been said by many other sales experts that questions are at the very heart of selling. As you ask the questions the ‘sales process’ slowly but surely becomes a buying process. With the right questions you’ll uncover facts and motives for buying which will assist you in getting great results in sales.

In essence, the best way to ask questions is to ask them in a way to get the prospect thinking about themselves but answering with you in mind. Ask questions that make them think about new information relating to the product or service, how they would use it or what they think about it. This gets them thinking of themselves and gives you all the information you’ll need at the same time.

Asked correctly, your questions will give you a picture of what the prospect considers to be of value and benefit to them and motivate them to want to take ownership. The biggest sin you could commit at this point is to ask stupid questions. Make sure they are intelligent and make the effort to avoid the obvious. Your competition will be using the obvious, you need to try to be different. Being different matters as much as being professional. Oh and by the way, being professional doesn’t mean being boring or predictable, you can still have fun and be professional.

Spend time asking the prospect for their opinion, do this as often as you are able. It makes all the difference and it is the only opinion that should matter to you. Not forgetting of course, that finding out their opinion is a great way of testing the water before a trial close.

Again, when seeking opinion do try to avoid the obvious. In other words don’t ask, “What’s important to you?”. That is just lazy. Use your imagination, ask other questions and make them open to get the prospect really talking to you.

Preparing for the questions and answers before the call is really important. There are many ways you can prepare. I prefer to ask myself some simple questions about the prospect and if I am not able to answer them, I will do all I can to find the answers before I pick up the phone. The kind of things you need to know are: What has the most impact on their business? How did they do last year and how are they doing this year, so far? There are some other really important questions you’ll need to have the answers to as well, questions like:

• Are you talking to the right person? Can they make the decision or will they be able to push you further up the chain to the person who can make the decision?
• How would they benefit more, through production or profit, as a result of buying from you?
• What are the range of possible motives for buying?
• What is their current level of experience of the solution or alternate solutions?
• What, if any, degree of urgency is there to buy?

Make sure you are prepared for any questions the prospect might have for you too. This means be really prepared. If it were me, I would make sure I had as much information with me as possible to could handle any questions. The more prepared you are the better. The better prepared you are, the more engaged the prospect will be with your performance which will give you better results.

It is true to say the way in which you ask and answer questions will determine the way you sell and the reputation you build with your customers. If you get this part right, along with other key skills, you will see your sales performance increase. This I can promise you.

In my books I mention the importance of a business having the right values and then living by them. They are at the centre of the development of reputation and brand. Values are also very important for individuals too. It’s quite interesting that few sales coach professionals take much time developing the right values in the sales people they work with. There are a few of us out there who see this a vital part for the development of an exceptional sales person. Here then are the values which make a great professional sales person and I urge you to try to adopt these as your own:

Be different - actively seek to create a difference between yourself and the competition, a difference that can be seen by your customers.

Create loyalty – through your actions and the way in which you treat your customers and prospects. Loyalty is more valuable to the sales professional than mere satisfaction.

Be engaging - your communication style is all important with a direct impact on results. Become a student of presentation techniques and always make sure your sales message inspires action. Use great questions and ideas to drive prospects into the buying process.

Never stop learning – never stop seeking out new information and ideas to enhance your skills and experience. Leverage the experience of others, find a mentor.

Be approachable, be a friend - people like to do business with people. Make it easy to do business with you.

Don’t take yourself too seriously - sales should be fun, buying should be fun too. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have some fun and understand the power of humour, in the right balance, in your sales presentations.

Be creative - the more creatively you think and the more creative you are in your presentation the greater the differential, which will make you stand out from the crowd.

Always ask for the business - it is a natural, welcome and expected conclusion.

Be confident – to be an exceptional sales person you need to have exceptional self belief which will come with confidence. That comes from good old-fashioned hard work, preparation and practice.

Planning is key - most sales people don’t spend enough time planning their work. Planning is key. Doing the preparation work before the sale will significantly increase your sales performance.

Avoid blaming others - don’t waste time looking for people to blame. Either take responsibility or just keep quiet and put it right. You’ll keep and make more friends this way. Friends create selling opportunities for those they like and trust most.

Create more time for you - make the personal choice to spend a little time each day on increasing your knowledge and skills.

Always concentrate on yes - most of my colleagues who specialise in sales coaching agree the maintenance of a positive yes attitude is key to success and is also very infectious to those around you.