Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions

The basis of any action a person is such an objective factor as need. A need can be defined as a need or desire for something that has not yet been received (in our case, not purchased). Different people may have different needs, which, however, can be systematized in a certain way.

As soon as a person satisfies one of the important needs, it ceases to be the main, driving motive for a certain time.

Dominant- the dominant factor, the main feature, the most important component of something.

The consumer remembers only that information that supports his beliefs and currently dominant needs. We can note a whole range of needs that are determined by various types of activities of people at home and at work.

Motive- an internal force that motivates a person to behave in a certain way.

People's motives are based on such fundamental needs as nutrition, rest, spiritual development, working conditions, living conditions and have a strong influence on their behavior. Sometimes motives are called impulses, needs, demands, internal tension, volitional aspirations. In any case, people constantly strive to satisfy these internal, sometimes contradictory, impulses.

An important role in the process of motivation habits, customs, skills, value systems and tastes of consumers play a role. Representatives of each social group and each person develop their own value system in the course of life. For example, for clients under 25 years of age, the bank can develop new loan products with more favorable conditions, but for smaller amounts than for more mature clients. We can separately highlight products for students, and also take into account that consumers of car loans are primarily men.

The customer does not buy the product or service per se. The client buys a solution to his problems, satisfaction of his needs.

There are 5 basic human needs (according to A. Maslow’s theory):

Physiological needs (food, water, warmth, shelter, sex, sleep, health, cleanliness).

The need for safety and protection (including stability).

The need for belonging to a social group, involvement and support. In this case we are talking about partner, family, friends, intimacy and affection.

The need for respect and recognition (self-esteem, self-esteem, confidence, prestige, fame, recognition of merit).

The need for self-expression (realization of one’s abilities and talents).

Financial security- every person is afraid of poverty and material losses and strives to overcome them. It is expressed in the desire to save and increase wealth.

Emotional safety necessary for a person to feel comfortable.

Need for comfort. As soon as a person reaches a minimum level of security and safety, he begins to strive for comfort. Need for image. The client focuses on the attractiveness and prestige of the product.

Need for free time. People want to relax as much as possible and look for any opportunity to stop work and relax. The same product can satisfy different needs. For example, a bank card. One person uses to withdraw funds. For others, it is an element of image and an indicator of belonging to a certain social group.

If a client purchases something, it means he has an actualized need. Don’t think that when purchasing, only one need will be satisfied. Just one of them will prevail.

Based on these needs, you can formulate a unique selling proposition for the client. And to find out the needs there is the easiest way - ask the client questions.

At the beginning of the meeting, you should not immediately attack the client like a passing train with your product or service. This is ineffective and unprofessional. Offering benefits “blindly” is like shooting in the air. For targeted sales, it is necessary to know the interests and needs of the client in order to offer exactly the benefits of the product that he needs.

Interests (motives for purchasing)- these are the reasons that determine why a client wants to purchase a particular product or service.

Before offering something and convincing of it (that is, immediately giving a lecture about the product), “probe” the client regarding his desire and ability to make a purchase.

Remember: only 20% of buyers know what they need (what product, at what price, for what purpose, and so on), the remaining 80% are in less certain states, they want something, but don’t know exactly what, some thing good product, you need to think about whether it is profitable to invest money in it ( Pareto principle).

Task: listen to the client and identify dominant needs. Ask questions, clarify the information received, retell it to make sure that you understood everything correctly.

Not a single client fully knows what exactly he wants to buy. It often happens that a client buys a product that costs much more than he expected before visiting the store.

Therefore, the seller’s task- listen to what the client wants, and sell him the product that is in stock and at a price favorable to the company. Moreover, we are not talking about deceiving the client at all, as it might seem at first glance. A sales consultant can direct the client’s attention to a more expensive product - a “gold card”, talking about its competitive advantages compared to a cheaper one. But the choice in any case remains with the client.

To identify a need, use the “active listening” technique, when the seller asks several clarifying questions, the purpose of which is to “talk” the client, listen to him carefully, and often nod his head, “assent”, “hoot” - this way you will show that you are listening attentively.

Open questions imply receiving a detailed answer. They cannot be answered in monosyllables, “yes” or “no.” As a rule, they begin with the questions: What? Who? How? Where? How many? Why? Which?

Open questions are needed to:

Obtain additional information from the client;

Create a comfortable situation to maintain contact;

Take the first steps towards identifying a need.

Examples of open questions:

- “What is important to you when renting a safe deposit box?”

- “Tell me, what requirements do you have for this contribution?”

Advantages of open questions:

Encourage the interlocutor to answer without limiting him in anything;

They orient a person to think, analyze his actions, stimulate the birth of thoughts that may not have previously occurred to him;

They give the interlocutor the opportunity to voluntarily convey information, talk freely about their feelings, and comment on events;

They force the seller to listen and observe carefully.

Disadvantages of open questions:

They can provoke a long response, so they cannot always be used under limited time conditions;

Can confuse an interlocutor who is not used to answering general questions;

May cause a confusing and chaotic response that is difficult to understand;

They conceal the need to ask clarifying questions, interrupting the interlocutor, which can offend him and lead to difficulties during the conversation.

It is advisable to ask open-ended questions:

At the beginning of negotiations;

To move from one topic to another;

If you need to make your interlocutor think;

When it is necessary to find out the interests and needs of the client;

If you want to revive and strengthen the energy of the client's awareness of a certain phenomenon;

If you want to determine the reason for the client’s refusals and doubts.

All questions The questions you ask your client should promote constructive communication and be business-like and friendly in nature. A good question asked in a rude manner will not only destroy the established contact, but can also lead to the failure of the deal.

However, open-ended questions allow the interlocutor to avoid a specific answer, provide only information that is beneficial to him, and even lead the conversation aside. Therefore, during a business conversation, it is recommended to ask, in addition to open questions, other questions.

Closed questions should be structured in such a way that the choice of possible responses from clients is limited to two words “yes” or “no”. They limit the field of possible answers. Used for surveys.

Closed questions are good at the beginning of a conversation and in all cases when you simply need to get an affirmative answer or establish specific facts in order to plan your further actions. “Yes” or “No” of the client are peculiar switches of your efforts in the appropriate direction.

Examples of closed questions:

- “Are you satisfied with our offer?”

- “Perhaps you need additional information?”

- “Are you satisfied (suits you, do you like) ...?”

- “Can I proceed from the fact that your final decision depends on clarifying the issue of ...?”

- “Would you mind if...?”

A closed question should be asked if:

Your partner is very reserved and does not actively support the conversation;

You need to get a short, unambiguous answer;

You want to quickly check your partner’s attitude towards something;

You hope by asking a series of closed questions to obtain the information you need;

You want to make sure you understand the other person correctly.

Closed questions can also be used to encourage positive responses from the client by appealing to generally accepted values.

For example: “Would you like to have reliable guarantees?”, “Quality is important to you, isn’t it?”

This technique is useful when the client is negative, has doubts, or simply does not have enough information to make a decision. The consent obtained in this way softens his attitude to always tell you “no” or “I don’t know.”

Closed questions are high-risk questions. They impose additional obligations on the client, and he does not like this. Therefore, they are not recommended to be asked at the initial and final stages of the sale, or should be done with extreme caution.

A very common situation is when, when a client enters, the salesperson asks: “Can I help you with anything?” And in most cases, the client answers “no,” although he may need help.

A type of closed question is a “tailed” (leading) question. This question guarantees a “yes” answer, since it assumes a programmed answer in the direction you want.

This question consists of 2 parts:

The first part includes a statement that any normal person would agree with;

The second part is different types of interrogative connective

Examples of “tailed” questions:

- “Nobody wants to overpay, right?”

- “Would you mind if we look at another option?”

- “Are you interested in purchasing a quality product?”

In sales, it is very convenient to first use open-ended questions (they allow you to find out whether the client is interested in your offer), and then end the sale with closed questions (they specify the expressed interest).

Ask questions in short and clear terms (the shorter the question, the more likely it is to be answered).

So that questions are not perceived as prosecutor's interrogation, soften them by intonation, as well as with the help of introductory words-shock absorbers: “Please tell me how ...?”, “Could you clarify what ...?”) Sometimes it is appropriate to first ask permission to ask questions: “Can I Shall I ask you a few questions?”

Be sure to wait for the answer to your question, Never interrupt a client’s pause yourself. This is his problem of “thoughtfulness”, and for you it is an opportunity to get the most useful information. So be patient and wait! Do not violate the “moment of truth”, while showing maximum respect for the client.

Monitor the construction of questions. Don't question a person's competence. For example, you ask a client if he is familiar with planning methods. On the one hand, you didn’t ask anything offensive, but on the other hand, you questioned his competence in this matter. And he can hear it, on a subconscious level. Reframe the question: “What planning methods do you prefer to use?”

When asking questions, do not follow the client’s lead and do not impose your opinion on him. Be his friend, guide and consultant.

Alternative questions (choice without choice) suggest several (usually two) possible client responses, each of which suits the seller.

Alternative questions can be successfully used at any stage of the sale. For example, using alternative questions on a neutral topic, you can get your interlocutor talking and unobtrusively identify his needs.

Examples of alternative questions:

- “Will you draw up the contract yourself or let our specialists do it?”

- “Would it be convenient for you if we make an appointment on Wednesday or Friday?”

By asking alternative questions, the salesperson can focus the client's attention on two or more options. This makes the decision easier and makes the selection process easier.

Alternative questions use:

When summing up intermediate and final results;

When discussing plans for further work;

To encourage indecisive clients to make a decision;

In order to reassure the client and allow him to choose the best option for further action.

When formulating alternative questions, it is very important to offer the client options that are truly acceptable to him. Otherwise, the client may mistake this seemingly harmless alternative question for manipulation.

The fact is that with the help of an alternative question, the client is programmed in a certain way for the choice procedure, becomes locked into this process and rarely realizes whether he needs to make a choice at all.

Even fairly psychologically literate clients do not always realize the veiled manipulation at the time of sale.

Of course, if the client is completely uninterested in your product, no manipulation will help you. And if the client understands the difference between the products offered, then this is not manipulation at all, but only a way to slightly push the client to make a decision.

To identify client needs, the seller asks him questions. Suggestive questions are deliberately constructed in such a way that the client, when answering them, agrees with the statement voiced by the seller.

Typically, leading questions are asked when attempts are made to somewhat veil it so that the client does not understand that he is being pressured.

But a competent client may suspect that they are trying to manipulate him, and a leading question may cause internal resistance in him.

Examples of leading questions:

- “You know, this is usually what they do in this case, and you will probably agree...”

- “What if we assume...”

- “You will, of course, agree that...”

- “You probably don’t want…”

- “If I understand correctly...”

- “Are you sure that...”

Leading questions are distinguished by a special interrogative intonation and usually include the words:

Of course, isn't it, too, really, isn't it.

To summarize the conversation, when the client is likely to give an affirmative answer;

If you want to bring the conversation back to business with a talkative client;

If you are dealing with an indecisive client;

If you need to force the client to confirm his belief in the profitability of your offer (if you talk about it, the client may doubt it; if the client says it himself, he will believe it).

When asking a leading question to a client, always address him by name:

- “Elena Arkadyevna, doesn’t what I offer you coincide exactly with your interests?”

- “Sergei Ivanovich, aren’t you with the fact that...?”

- “Besides, Anna Valerievna, you and I are probably unanimous in our opinion that...?”

You should not ask leading questions when you are analyzing the client's needs, since they do not provide new information.

With the help of leading questions you can see and understand client's wishes and needs. Moreover, all decisions that the client makes under the influence of questions asked by the seller logically follow from his own reasoning.

The leading question sounds very intrusive. It almost forces the client to acknowledge or agree with the seller's statement. Therefore, you need to use leading questions with extreme caution. And don’t forget to make sure that the question asked evokes a positive reaction from the client.

Clarifying (half-open) questions involve receiving short, laconic answers from the interlocutor. They should be asked if you are not sure about something or if you have doubts whether you understood the client correctly.

Purpose of clarifying questions- restore omitted information, find out the interlocutor’s personal understanding of some issue, double-check what he said during the conversation.

Clarifying questions are necessary to:

Get specific information;

Specify customer need;

Bring the client closer to a purchase (to completing a transaction).

Clarifying (half-open) questions include the words:

- “Do I understand correctly that...”, “Why?” - one of the best clarifying questions, “That is, ....”,

- “You mean...”, “You mean...”.

Examples of clarifying (half-open) questions:

- “Do I understand you correctly that you would like to buy a gift for your wife?”

- “Please tell me how much you would like to spend? I ask this question in order to choose the most optimal option for you.”

You paraphrase the client's statement and clarify whether it was understood correctly. The interlocutor will confirm or refute your doubts and may provide additional information.

Do not hesitate to ask clarifying questions if you do not understand something or are in doubt. Believe me, the client will not think badly of you. Rather, you will give the impression of a person who strives to thoroughly understand the issue and not miss important points in the conversation.

It is very important for the seller be able to listen and hear the client, then the client has confidence that his information was received correctly. In addition, active listening makes it possible to align the positions of the seller and the client.

And finally using active listening technique, the seller stimulates the client to further conversation.

Rules for active listening:

Friendly attitude. React calmly to everything the other person says. Do not allow yourself personal assessments and comments on what was said.

Don't ask questions. Build sentences in the affirmative form. Pause periodically and give the other person time to think.

Don't be afraid to make wrong assumptions about the feelings experienced by the interlocutor. If something is wrong, the other person will correct you.

Maintain eye contact. Let your eyes be at the same level as the other person's.

If you understand that the interlocutor is not in the mood for conversations and frankness, then leave him alone.

Active listening techniques:

"Echo" reception- verbatim repetition by the seller of the main points expressed by the client. Repetition begins with introductory phrases:

“As far as I understand you...”, “Do you think that...”, “Do you want to say that...”, “In your opinion...”

Summary- summing up all intermediate agreements or combining the speaker’s thoughts into a single semantic field into a single semantic field:

- “Thus, we found out that the important criteria for you when choosing are...”

- “Summarizing what you said, we can come to the conclusion that you would like...”

- “So, you are interested in...”

- “The most important thing for you in choosing this product...”

- “So, we have decided - one..., two..., three... And now we just have to decide the last question: when will you purchase this thing and enjoy its quality. Because I see you liked her.”

Logical consequence- drawing a logical consequence from the client’s statements, further developing the meaning expressed by the client:

- “Based on what you said, product warranties are important to you...”

- “If I understand you correctly, it is important for you that we deliver the goods to your warehouse...”

Clarification: you ask to clarify certain points of the client’s statement:

- “This is very interesting, could you clarify...”

- “If I understand you correctly, you think that...”

- “Could you clarify what it means to you... (fast, expensive, high quality...)”

- “If it’s not a secret, on what basis did you come to this conclusion?”

- “Please be honest with me, what doesn’t suit you completely? (Are you in doubt about something? Is something bothering you?).”

Listening (empathy)- this is joining the interlocutor on his emotional (empathy) level to create a trusting relationship with him through the most accurate reflection of his feelings, emotions and experiences.

On the verbal level:

- “In your words, I felt doubt (anxiety, mistrust, concern...).”

- “It seemed to me (it seems to me) that you were excited about something.”

- “I see that something is bothering you (Is something preventing you from making a decision? Maybe you need additional information?).”

Take pauses, take your time with questions, let the client speak or inspect the product.

Use encouraging statements:

I absolutely agree with you

You noticed correctly,

This is very important (interesting)

Wow! Did not know! If possible, tell us more about this. It is very important for me!

At the non-verbal level, you need to join your interlocutor using:

Facial expressions reflecting the speaker’s feelings (indignation, anxiety, surprise, fear...);

Mirroring gestures, slang, intonation;

Correct eye contact;

Feeding the body forward;

Attentive facial expression.

Use these simple active listening techniques in your work to make your work with clients more effective.

Sales script

A sales script for banking products and services is a certain sequence of actions of a bank manager, a kind of scenario for selling banking services, a pre-prepared step-by-step plan, the purpose and main task of which is to conclude a transaction with a client.

Very often, bank scripts are developed for a specific product, promotion, etc. For example, there is a script for communicating with a client for the purpose of selling a consumer loan, credit card, deposit, or non-state pension fund agreement. In addition, cross-selling scripts and cold calling scripts to clients in order to offer bank services are very common.

In addition to the global goal, scripts solve the following tasks:

Increases the confidence of sales managers;

Allow you to quickly navigate and be prepared for any answer or question from the client;

They help you think through the main points of the conversation and your behavior at key points in advance.

To write an effective script, or script, for sales of banking services, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Before drawing up a script, determine a clear goal, which banking product and which target client you will offer, write down the main properties of this product and translate them into benefits for the client (use benefit language: property - characteristic - benefit);

2. Write a script for each stage, think through different options for the client’s response to your questions and be sure to indicate the actions of the bank manager in each scenario. This is necessary so that the manager is prepared for any “turn of events.”

A question always presupposes an answer, and if there is an answer, then there is a dialogue. What is sales if not dialogue? Having mastered the questioning technique, you will learn to conduct effective negotiations, manage the flow of the conversation, and most importantly, you will be able to become a pleasant interlocutor.

5 Benefits of Mastering Questioning Technique

1. The question shifts the focus to the client, making him the main character. Asking the right questions allows you to understand the true needs of the client.
2. A question is a sign of respect for your interlocutor.
3. A question allows you to avoid disputes: by asking a question, you can always find out in advance the opinion of your interlocutor on this or that matter and avoid an awkward situation.
4. The question helps you immediately move from unnecessary conversations to a constructive dialogue that brings you closer to concluding a deal.
5. A question can push the client to make the decision you need.

Questions that open negotiations

To establish contact with the client, use questions that open negotiations. A well-posed question arouses interest and draws the interlocutor into dialogue.

Introductory Questions

Use open-ended introductory questions to obtain information about the client, their business and needs. Open questions differ from closed questions in that they are difficult to answer with a monosyllabic “yes” or “no.” It is these questions that allow your client to open up and speak - first of all, master the technique of these questions.

The key rule of the question technique is to listen to the interlocutor’s answer to the end, otherwise the question asked looks like a simple formality, and the dialogue takes on the form of an interrogation.

Confirmation questions

Confirmatory questions are needed in order to establish mutual understanding with the client. Such questions help to find common ground, and unity of opinions allows for successful progress in negotiations.

I assume that you are of the opinion that...?
I am sure that you are also happy when...?
Surely, it is also important for you that...?

Linking questions

We get acquainted with the technique of these questions back in school during English lessons ( remember: It’s a nice day today, isn’t it?). Linking questions are questions with a tail like “is it true, isn’t it, is it true, is it true, do you agree, etc.” They allow you to constantly maintain contact with your interlocutor. The advantage of the technique of such questions is that they are rarely answered in the negative, and agreement on the part of the client is the key to successful negotiations.

You always want to find the best price/quality ratio, right?
It is important to choose equipment that will be effective for a specific task, isn’t it?

Control questions

Such questions allow you to find out whether the client is listening to you or is busy with his own thoughts. The interlocutor's reaction will tell you whether you can move on or whether you should go back a little.

What do you think about this?
Do you agree with me?
What do you say, it's a worthwhile proposal, isn't it?

Questions for orientation

The technique of these questions is needed in order to find out whether the interlocutor understands what you want to convey to him, whether he adheres to the previously expressed opinion. As experience shows, the client’s attention weakens already on the fifth sentence, so in negotiations you should beware of going into a monologue.

Perhaps you have counter questions?
I understand that we are talking about complex equipment and believe that some points require additional explanation. What characteristics would you like to dwell on in more detail?

Hone your questioning technique and encourage your interlocutor to ask questions. When you receive a question, thank the client for asking the question. By doing this, you give your interlocutor recognition and give him a subtle compliment, which has a beneficial effect on the course of negotiations.

It's good that you asked about this...
This is a very interesting question, it seems that you are well versed...
Such a question reveals that you are a true connoisseur (connoisseur, professional)

Unipolar questions

Unipolar questions first mirror the interlocutor’s question, and then provide an answer. These questions can be used when you need time to think about an answer. For the client, such a question is confirmation that you understood him correctly.

You ask me, what is the main advantage of this device?

Counter questions

Answering a question with a question is not always polite, but sometimes it is strategically necessary. Such questions allow you to lead the client to making a decision, and, if necessary, postpone the conversation about the price.

Counter questions are often used as one of the techniques for processing objections and are asked not in detail, but directly. So, the client’s remark: “It’s expensive!” you can retort: ​​“What are you comparing it to?” But in this case, counter questions should be constructed carefully and concisely, for example:

Client: “And what will the price be?”
Seller: “It all depends on which delivery package you choose. Let's look at the specification again. Which equipment best suits your requirements?”

Counter questions are also called “porcupine questions” or “hedgehog questions”; it is important to remember that such questions are effective in an atmosphere of general openness and goodwill.

Alternative questions

Such questions allow us to provide the client with freedom of choice and provide him with ready-made solutions. At the same time, an alternative question pushes the interlocutor to make a final choice. The main component of the technique of this question is the word “ or“.

Do you need delivery on Monday or Wednesday?

Provocative questions

Such questions contain a challenge and often provoke the client. Provocative questions allow you to find out whether the interlocutor understands the true state of affairs.

Closing Questions

The purpose of the closing questions is to complete the negotiations and outline further stages of cooperation. Ideally, such questions should be asked after confirmatory questions.

There is a stereotype that when selling, price is everything. Many novice managers believe that the client always buys where it is cheaper. That the issue of price is the most important. But experienced sales managers will disagree with them. And they will be right.

During the sale, it is very important to engage with the client and become close to him in spirit, “your” person. Therefore we present Examples of questions to identify client needs, which help the client express his opinion, speak out, relax and trust the seller.

The ability to professionally identify needs and direct the conversation to the desired result is the key to successful sales, high results and stable income for the seller.

By the way, before you even select suitable questions to identify needs, you need to determine the target group of customers who most often use your products or services. The following story will tell you how to do this:

When teaching sales skills to novice managers, we notice the same mistake in most of them - the inability to identify the client’s needs or even skipping or moving too quickly to the presentation of the product. A novice manager, as a rule, prefers to immediately present to the buyer a product that he either needs to sell first, or a product that for some reason he especially likes. For some reason, initially most people are accustomed to considering themselves right and knowing in advance what the client supposedly needs, without bothering to ask him about it directly.

Without knowing why the client contacted your company, without knowing what questions he has, what problems he has, the consultant will not be able to offer a solution and make the sale completed and the client satisfied. Therefore, it is very important to learn to ask the right questions when identifying needs.

It is necessary to begin the stage of identifying needs with a fundamental question, which allows you to clarify whether the client uses your product or service at all, whether he needs it at all. But it may turn out that, for example, you are trying to sell home Internet to a person who does not know how to use a computer at all, or CASCO insurance to a person who is not going to buy a car at all. And you can find out only by asking questions!

Remember the situation when you are talking with someone you don’t like. What do you usually do? Are you silent? Or do you just nod your head? Or maybe you turn away and try to end the conversation as soon as possible? But, most likely, you will not ask this person questions, since you are not interested in his answers at all.

If we really feel sincere interest in our client, we will begin to find out his needs, which means asking questions, and we will find out from him everything that he thinks about the product that we sell or the service that we provide. Therefore, novice sales managers first need to learn how to ask the right questions and correctly determine the needs of the buyer, and only then move on to presentation options. Knowing what the client really needs, we can adjust our offer in the most effective way, select suitable phrases and expressions so that they evoke the necessary emotions in the client and create a need to buy right now. At the same time, when asking questions, you should not go to extremes and turn a confidential, equal dialogue into an interrogation.

Well, now let’s give examples of questions to identify needs that actually help sell.

At the moment of meeting a client and at the very beginning of communication, it is very important to evoke his friendly disposition and sympathy, i.e. establish the so-called rapport. After which you can move on to general questions that are not directly related to the transaction.

If you work in a B2C direction and communicate directly with the client, start a conversation with the client on general topics. For example, an insurance manager might talk about new changes in insurance legislation and ask the client about his thoughts and views. When selling computer equipment, you can talk about new trends and at the same time find out the client’s preferences in the field of IT technologies. Or clarify the client’s awareness of your company, for example:

• When was the last time you visited our office?
• How often do you use taxi services?

B2C sellers build rapport by talking and asking questions about the client’s company, the state of affairs in the industry, economic development and prospects for business expansion.

• How do you assess the support for entrepreneurship in the region?
• What do you think about the government's technology policies?

You can ask about the state of the country’s economy as a whole, about the exchange rate of the ruble (dollar, euro), about social policy and support for entrepreneurship, about the work of officials and current legislation. The main thing is that the topic is close to the client. Moreover, you absolutely do not need to be an expert in this area; the main thing is to let the client speak. You can also contact him for an expert assessment of the situation, for example:

• I heard that the government is preparing a new law to reduce taxes for manufacturing enterprises. What do you think of it?

Look carefully at your interlocutor and watch his reaction. He should find a like-minded person in you, experience common interests and emotional support. If you notice a manifestation of negative emotions in a client, sound the alarm and take the topic in a different direction, otherwise you may feel this negativity directed in your direction. And the sale may fall through.

At the same time, you should not get carried away by the conversation on general topics - it should not take more than 5 minutes. Ideally, to establish rapport, 1-2 general questions are enough, the discussion of which should last 2-4 minutes.

When a trusting relationship has been established, we clarify with the client the reason for his contacting your company, find out his problem and urgent need using mainly open questions:

• What kind of house would you like to buy? Tell us more.
• What is the most important thing for you when buying a new car?
• How do you imagine your summer holiday?
• What experience do you have working with transport companies?
• What were you unhappy about working with your previous supplier?
• By what criteria do you choose partners?
• Why do you think your staff is not sufficiently trained?
• And in general: what can we do for you to make you satisfied?

There are clients who express themselves precisely and clearly, who know what they want. Well, there are those who have not yet decided on their preferences. However, the sales manager still needs to get accurate information from the client, otherwise he risks doing the job in vain without achieving client satisfaction. To do this, the funnel of questions needs to be narrowed down with clarifications.

• Please, at this point in more detail...
• Do you have information about specific cases? Give some example!
• To find the perfect option for you, I need details...
• And if you have to choose between functionality and appearance, which will you prefer?

After which it’s worth starting a conversation about the client’s price and budget. Don't be afraid to talk about money. There's nothing wrong with that. Moreover, the modern client is already accustomed to such questions.

By avoiding questions about money, you risk getting into trouble by incorrectly assessing the client’s budget, batch size, timing and prospects for cooperation. Therefore, feel free to discuss financial issues, since skillful handling of information on amounts and payments will allow you to understand the seriousness of the client’s intentions, his solvency, his interest in the service or product, the possible timing of the transaction, its amount and prospects for repeated cooperation. The more confident and clear the client talks about money, the higher his need for the service, the more promising he is for cooperation, the faster the transaction can take place and the faster you will receive your commissions.

• What amount are we talking about?
• In what price range do we choose a car?
• Do you already have a budget decision?
• What volumes and amounts will we be talking about?
• Will we discuss financial issues with you or is additional approval required?

Now don’t forget to assure the client that you are the one who can do everything he needs, take into account the necessary nuances that the previous supplier could not comply with, order for the client exactly the car he needs, and generally find, get or make everything that he needs or likes (and that exactly corresponds to the previously identified needs).

Ask questions and listen carefully to the client. Determine in your mind in 3-4 words what he needs, what is important to him and what problems he needs to solve. And only then, at the presentation stage, bring the dialogue to the point that it is your product or service that can solve these pressing issues, and that it is you, and not someone else, who can do everything right.

So, in order to solve the client’s problem you need to:

1. To set up a contact.
2. Find out his need or his problem.
3. Find out what he did to solve the problem. What brought the desired result and what didn’t. (Don’t forget to find out what result is still desired!!!)
4. Determine exactly what the client needs. (You may not be able to do this right away, but after some practice you will definitely be able to do it!)
5. Well, now offer him a solution to his problem. Remember, he needs sincere help in solving a pressing problem; give it to him on time and in good quality - he will be satisfied and grateful!

The above questions for identifying client needs are not a panacea. You can change them, shorten them, vary them at your discretion, see what is effective and works, and what needs analysis and improvement. The range of topics for this is quite wide: from industry development prospects to company plans, from the intentions of the organization’s management to the current state of affairs, from customer expectations to negative experiences, from personal preferences to strategic directions.

The more competently you learn to ask questions, the more accurate answers you will receive, which means you will be able to satisfy client requests in full. More satisfied customers - more profit - wider prospects for your development as a sales specialist.

Closed questions are questions for which we expect to receive only 2 possible answers - either “ YES", or " NO».

Purpose of a closed question:

Errors:

• Ask only closed questions.
• Ask closed questions at the beginning of the sale.
• Ask closed questions that might get an unnecessary “No.”

Ask several closed questions in a row. Interrogation.

How to ask a closed question.

Any declarative sentence can be turned into a closed question by raising it intonation towards the end of the sentence.

Closed questions in sales examples:

• Have we agreed on the first point?
• Can we document this?
• Have you checked out our assortment?
• Do you have a car?

Open questions are questions to which we expect to receive the most detailed and complete answer on the topic asked.

Purpose of an open question:

Errors:

• Ask open-ended questions at the end of the conversation.
  • Ask open-ended questions on abstract topics.

How to ask an open question.

An open question is asked using question words that are placed at the beginning of the sentence.

• When?
• In connection with what?
• etc.

Examples of open questions in sales:

• What options do you choose from?
• What do you think?
• When will you be able to view our offer?
• What characteristics do you think a modern mp3 player should have?

Alternative questions in sales.

Alternative questions are questions to which we expect to receive an answer in the form of the client choosing one of the options, which we indicate in the question itself.

Purpose of the alternative question:

Errors:

• Include in the question as one of the alternatives something that is not beneficial to us.

How to ask an alternative question.

Come up with 2 or more alternatives and ask a question that involves choosing between these alternatives using the conjunction “OR”.

Examples of alternative questions in sales:

• Where would it be more convenient for you to meet me, in the office or at the exhibition?
• Do you still have questions on this point or can we move on to the next part of the agreement?
• Which model will we calculate, A or B?

Subtypes of questions.

Tailed questions.

Sometimes such questions are called questions - assumptions. In essence, this is a closed question, but to which we expect to receive only a “YES” answer. We usually recommend avoiding these questions in sales because they are perceived by many clients as manipulation and at any time the answer to this question can be “NO”, thereby ruining the sale.

How to ask a tailed question.

This is any statement you make that the client must agree with. At the end of the statement there is a special construction - a tail and a question mark.

Special designs:

• Is not it?
• Do you agree?
• Is it true?
• Right? etc.

Examples of tailed questions:

• That's 2 times more, isn't it?
• All people want to ensure a stable income in retirement, don’t you agree?
• This is faster than what you have now, right?
• Nobody wants to overpay, right?

Sometimes you can find a different construction of such a question, where the “tail of the question” is at the very beginning.

Perhaps your children will also use a camera?

In order not to get the answer “NO” to a tailed question, you need to follow one rule. Your statement should not be controversial. It should be a fact that both you and the client know, or something that most of your potential clients can agree on. You can also use soft statements, such as:

• Maybe…
• Maybe…
• Probably…

Errors of tailed questions.

Incorrect: “This is great, isn’t it?”

Correct: “This will help you cut your expenses by half, right?”

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The ability to pose reasonable questions is already an important and necessary sign of intelligence and insight.

Immanuel Kant

Questions are the main sales technology, and as the famous sales specialist Brian Tracy accurately noted, they are the tool of a successful salesman.

A question strategy is a kind of funnel of questions that helps to obtain the necessary information, win over the client and, very importantly, allowmaintain leadership in the conversation,which means giving it the right direction.

Questions in sales are the most important link between a business meeting and a successful deal.

The types of sales questions asked to the client at various stages of the sales cycle can be divided into 13 groups by purpose. Knowledge of sales technology, its specifics and consistency will greatly facilitate communication not only professionally, but also in everyday life:

1. Question for contact
2. Question-opinion
3. Question about facts
4. Reasonable Question (Secondary Question of Fact)
5. Question about the result
6. Suggestive questions
7. Question about presentation (about consent to listen)
8. The Question of Consent
9. Question-explanation
10. Summative opinion question
11. Question to find landmarks
12. Question-statement
13. The question of hidden reasons.

Sales technology - 13 questions using the example of an advertising agency

This technology of direct sales and non-direct sales can be well illustrated using the example of an advertising agency. Let's say a promotional products company emailed its sales pitch to several fast-growing companies.

One person, connected with the automobile business, responded and was in need of product promotion services. The preliminary telephone conversation was conducted successfully by the manager. Soon, a potential customer arrived at the advertisers’ office to consider various options for a sales proposal.

This visit in itself is a definite achievement, and now the favorable impression of the client needs to be strengthened. The first personal contact is extremely important here: the client must be met respectfully, friendly, but without excessive pathos or officialdom. Can help with this question for contact .

Its essence is clear from the name: to set a person up for a conversation by “stretching” some kind of “connecting thread” between the seller and the buyer. Sometimes, as in the dialogue below, a template question (with a suggested answer) is possible, which will quickly direct the conversation directly “closer to the topic.”

Manager (hereinafter referred to as M): Hello! Was it difficult for you to find our office?
Client (hereinafter referred to as K): No, thank you, your sign is very noticeable.
M: Yes, we tried - we thought that it would be inappropriate for a shoemaker to remain without boots!

Attention: not a word about the quality of your service (the sign was made in-house), it would look intrusive. However, thanks to the right question, the attractiveness of the product has already been appreciated and noted by the potential client himself. You can “pick up” this lead and continue the conversation question-opinion:

M: Do you also think this is a suitable layout to attract attention? Do you think large format advertising is effective?
K: Yes, for example, we noticed that in areas where our billboards are already located, the company’s branches are visited more actively.

An opinion question carries a considerable burden. Firstly, the seller begins to carefully approach the topic of interest to him, finding out the client’s preferences.

Secondly, the customer will be pleased that a professional is interested in his point of view - despite the fact that expressing his position in this case does not oblige him to anything, and therefore does not bother him. This creates a favorable emotional environment that will allow you to move on to a more serious conversation through question about facts:

M: By the way, I noticed your billboards while driving along the Eastern and Central roads. I wonder why you decided to install them there?
K: These areas have the busiest traffic. And people driving, as you understand, are practically our target audience.

What are the benefits of knowing such facts? The seller begins to better understand the motives of the client's actions. This means that the customer’s problem emerges more clearly, which he intends to solve with the help of the performing company. If you look deeper, perhaps the seller will find and be able to offer a solution that has not yet occurred to the client himself.

In this situation, the customer’s ideas are still limited only to large-format advertising that has already proven its effectiveness. And the choice, meanwhile, is much greater. This means that it is necessary to broaden the client’s horizons and orient him to other types of services.

Moreover, do this in such a way that he is sure that he himself made a decision based on the information received. But for this purpose, the manager could use additional information. So that the seller’s interest does not look like idle curiosity, it should be explained by concern for the client’s needs. And then it will be completely valid questions:

M: To choose the best option for you, I would like to know if you have experience using other types of advertising?
K: Yes, we periodically place information in newspapers about our promotions.
M: So these are announcements of a one-time (non-permanent) nature?
K: Yes, we still prefer billboards as permanent media.

The conversation has now reached a very important point. You can analyze why the type of advertising already tested by the client is effective and what requirements it satisfies. Therefore, find out what the customer expects from the contractor, what result he wants to get as a result. For this there is question about the result:

M: Why are billboards the best advertisement for you?
K: Because they catch the eye of a large number of motorists, some of whom will certainly be interested in our products.

As the conversation progresses, the seller may have already made conclusions about what types of services this particular customer will need. Now we need the client to come to the same conclusion.

It would be nice for him to experience some dissatisfaction with what he has now and think about a replacement or additional service. To direct the customer’s thoughts in the right direction, the seller resorts to guiding questions:

M: As far as I understand, a large flow of potential consumers and a long period of posting information are important to you - mainly for motorists?
K: Basically, yes.
M: Maybe then, not shields, but tripwires would be more suitable for you? Their advantage is that they are in front of the eyes of motorists and passers-by for much longer.
K: I think this is worthy of attention.
M: Also, maybe we should think about consumers living in other areas of the city, or those who are temporarily not driving?
K: What do you mean?
M: Perhaps you shouldn’t focus only on highways. There are various types of advertising products that will significantly expand your audience. For example, calendars with your symbols - they can be distributed at gas stations or in spare parts stores.

It may very well be that the client has now heard about possibilities that he had not previously taken into account at all. And if his competitors do not use similar techniques, this gives a clear advantage. Therefore, most likely, the customer is interested .

The right moment has come to temporarily interrupt the cascade of questions and finally show the client what he came for. And even more. After all, the seller had already “cast a bait” in order to demonstrate some additional advertising features.

He has the right to expect that a more detailed story will help lead the client away from existing stereotypes and encourage him to place several orders at once.

In short, it's time to move on to the presentation. However, you can’t just drag a buyer by the hand to the stands. You need to make sure that he is ready to see product samples and listen to the seller’s comments.

Asking about consent for a presentation is absolutely essential! After all, by turning to a client with such a question and receiving an affirmative answer, the seller triggers one important psychological mechanism.

By agreeing to a presentation, the customer dives deeper into the negotiation process. Thus, he takes on a certain responsibility - not so much to the performing company, but to himself and his partners or management.

Now he will really try to get the maximum benefit from the presentation of the product and obtain comprehensive information. After all, it is likely that his opinion will be decisive in making the final decision.

This means that getting consent to a presentation means getting a serious chance of getting an order.

So, question about the presentation:

M: Perhaps you would like to get acquainted with our assortment right now?
K: Let's see...

The manager makes a presentation. After this, the client, as a rule, will already know enough to decide on his intentions. Let's assume that on the whole he is pleased with what he sees.

Depending on the authority that the customer has, he can either make a decision on his own or must coordinate it with partners or management. One way or another, the result of the presentation should not “hang in the air,” and therefore the manager should ask the client question about consent:

M: I think you will want to discuss your decision with your partners. Is it possible for me to participate in this conversation?
K: I think this is not necessary.

This is a fairly expected and common answer. Probably, the customer simply wants to discuss with his partner his impression of the performing company and its services without anyone else. Perhaps his partner is quick-tempered, intractable and prejudiced towards sellers.

And how many other supposed reasons for refusal are there? But in no case does this “no” said by the customer mean final disagreement or disinterest.

It would be a mistake, in desperation, to let the client go without finding out the reason for the refusal. You can't stop! After all, as Honore Balzac said, “to reach the goal, you must first go » . A lot of effort has already been made - on both sides.

And if the seller followed his line correctly, then a certain mutual understanding should have arisen. You need to try to take advantage of this and try to ask Explanation question:

M: May I know the reason for your refusal?
K: I just want to consult with my partner face to face.

The main requirement for an explanation question: it should not be aggressive or express dissatisfaction or bewilderment of the seller. Therefore, you should not start it with the word “why?”, which can be perceived as a complaint.

Obsession can also ruin the whole thing. By and large, the customer does not owe anything to the contractor, and even more so does not have to report the reasons for his doubts.

But the seller really needs this information! Based on it, you can draw useful conclusions about what the client is not satisfied with and adapt to his true needs.

But first, it’s worth reminding the customer about the positive aspects of the meeting. Let them be summed up in his mind! Let the client focus on his benefits! This will be a big plus for the seller.

Can serve such important purposes summary question-opinion:

M: Today we talked about several options for promoting your product on the market. The advantage of the first is its durability, the advantage of the second is its ease of execution, the third is good for its versatility, the fourth is for its large reach of the consumer audience. How do you assess these opportunities?
K: All this looks quite convincing. But still, you need to think more. Maybe some details will not suit my partners.

Such a development is quite likely at this stage of the sales cycle. After the client has listened to the main proposal with the final presentation, he most often has certain objections. It is unlikely that any more or less large transaction can be done without them.

This is very humanly understandable: the client is afraid of risk and disappointment. On the other hand, the customer’s indecisiveness indicates that he takes the proposal seriously and is trying to consider it from all sides.

It is the interest in the service that can prompt him to express his comments and doubts right now, in response to a question-opinion. But this is ideal. In reality, customers may have various reasons and motives for not sharing their hesitations with the performers.

Then the seller can try to guess what's wrong using question aimed at finding a landmark . His goal is still to get the client to answer what exactly does not suit him in the proposal. There are different ways to ask this question.

1) Focusing on the client’s doubts (negative form).

M: Maybe you think that this model will be inconvenient to use? (Little trick: in fact, the answer is known, since everything is in order with the exploitation here).
K: I have no complaints here.
M: Then perhaps you are not satisfied with the production time? (The trick is the same: the timing is optimal, don’t find fault. Why not once again focus on this?).
K: No, the timing is acceptable.

2) You can focus on the client’s positive assessments (positive form).

M: You liked the layout I proposed?
Or: As far as I understand, it is the high quality of the material that is important to you?
And finally: You also approved the advertising text as a whole?

It turns out that everything is fine. What's the catch then? Most likely, the customer, seeing such a sincere desire of the seller to get to the bottom of it, will be frank and explain what he doesn’t like. After all, it's in his best interest. A variety of issues can be controversial: from disagreement with warranty periods to an inconvenient delivery method. Often the stumbling block is the issue of payment. This is perhaps the most obvious example.

K: I think there will be no problems with all of the above. But the fact is that I was interested in your proposal regarding the production of calendars, but we did not provide funds for this.

Finally, the seller’s intermediate goal was achieved: the source of the client’s hesitation became clear - lack of funds. And, thank God, to find a way out of this situation, you don’t even need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to formulate Question-statement:

M: Are you ready to make several orders at once if we cooperate with you on preferential terms? For example, will we make discounts on some types of work?

This is a pleasant question for the customer. And for the seller too - if you look at it from a certain angle. Its essence lies in the desire to make concessions to each other. Concession exchanges have saved an incredible number of deals!

The most interesting thing is that these concessions do not necessarily have to be of equal value. The psychology is this: when they give in to you, you want to respond in kind, no matter to what extent. If mutual understanding in this part is reached, then both parties can be congratulated on a profitable deal!

However, this customer cannot resolve such issues on his own and reminds the seller of this:

K: I have to consult with my partners.
M: Since new circumstances have arisen in our negotiations, can I attend the conversation? This will make the conversation more substantive and specific.
K: I think you're right.

So the manager (on the second attempt) received consent to participate in the final and, obviously, decisive discussion of the details of the transaction. Consequently, it became possible to keep its progress under control.

Perhaps now we can breathe a sigh of relief. Did a great job! We talked, achieved our goal, and were satisfied with each other. Can we leave?

However, there is “in reserve” another effective (and spectacular!) technique that allows you to bring to the surface some hidden misunderstandings that could subsequently hinder the conclusion of an agreement. This is the so-called “doorknob technique”.

It consists in the fact that the manager asks the last question when the client has already literally grabbed the door handle to go “free”. The free and already relaxed flow of his thoughts is suddenly invaded by Manager's question about hidden reasons:

M: Do you think we have discussed all the nuances?
K (slightly taken aback): Perhaps what bothers me a little is that the style of the advertising layout is somewhat reminiscent of our competitors.

An unexpected question brought out from the customer’s subconscious, wittingly or unwittingly, a hidden counterargument, which at the final stage could somewhat confuse the advertisers’ cards.

Now the performer will take note of the remark. It will not be difficult for good professionals to eliminate it, and the manager will come prepared for the final conversation.

13 questions - effective sales technology

The described conversation between the client and the seller of advertising services is sketchy and went off without a hitch. Naturally, in real life this happens extremely rarely. In order for real negotiations to end successfully, the seller needs scrupulous preparation.

The 13 Questions strategy discussed above can be adapted to any business, and mastery of it allows you to anticipate different turns in the conversation.

Preliminary preparation increases the likelihood of closing a deal by 50%

All successful sellers, sharing their experience, insist on one thing: the riskiest strategy is called “where the curve takes you.” Therefore, all questions for the sales manager before any negotiations need to be carefully considered and options for possible client responses must be presented.

It is advisable to do this in writing. Next, you should visualize the conversation, and even rehearse gestures, glances and smiles in front of a mirror. Knowledge of sign language in general can bring invaluable benefits to the negotiator and will put him in an advantageous position in any audience.

It is difficult to even list how many skills and knowledge a virtuoso negotiator requires. Such specialists are extremely in demand and very highly valued. This confirms the opinion of John Rockefeller: “The ability to communicate with people is a commodity, and I will pay more for it than for anything else in the world.” Anyone who wants to succeed in this area needs to remember: talented negotiators are not born. Of course, a certain charisma can be given to a person by nature, but all other qualities are acquired through painstaking work on oneself.

A very illustrative case in this sense is given by Brian Tracy in his book “Effective Selling Methods”: one man met a musician on the street in New York and asked him how to get to the world famous concert hall Carnegie Hall. “With labor, only with labor,” answered the musician...