5 Essential Sales Questions

To help a client move from 'I'm interested, tell me more' to 'You're hired!', sooner or later you are going to need to make a presentation.

Depending on your situation your presentation may be in person, over the telephone, or in writing, but whatever FORM your presentation takes, in each case you are effectively saying, 'this is the action I recommend that you take, and this is why it will be beneficial for you'. You are guaranteed to increase your conversion rate of enquirers to buyers if you incorporate the following questions and answers in your sales literature and/or conversations with customers.

Why you? This is where you spell out why this particular person or company will benefit from taking this course of action. The more time you have spent probing the prospects needs and requirements, the more effectively you will be able to do this. You need to understand what your prospect is really experiencing: 'As a sales manager, you are fed up with constantly having to chase and motivate your sales team to make cold calls. It's taking up valuable time which could be more profitably used elsewhere'.

Why me? This is where you communicate your expertise, authority and convey your credibility. My golden tip? Talking about RESULTS you have achieved works best: 'I've spent the last 9 years helping sales teams to have more success on the telephone. I can typically help a team to increase conversion by at least 34%. 96% of clients say they would recommend my service to others'.

Why this? This is where you need to demonstrate the relevant benefits of the product or service to this particular product or service. You need to spell out why this particular solution is the answer to their prayers. 'Our cold calling coach programme will help you because it will motivate even your most reluctant sales people to pick up the phone with confidence, you will see business results within the first 3 days, and best of all, those results are sustainable because of our ongoing coaching programme.'

Why this price? How and when you reveal your price is critical to whether the prospect perceives it as outrageously overpriced or astonishingly good value.

In a nutshell, what you need to do is build the value of your product or service first, by quantifying the benefits, THEN you reveal the price: 'You told us that each face-to-appointment with a qualified decision maker is worth £250 to you, so even if we help you make just 3 extra appointments a week, then that's a value of £750. You also estimated that you are spending 3 hours a week managing your team's prospecting activity. Valuing your time at £150 per hour, that's another £450.

So from week one this programme will be worth £1,200 to you. That's £5,184 per month. Or £62,208 over the course of the year. Yet your investment in this entire programme is just £6,000.' Notice that presented this way, the £6,000 is good value, giving at least a 10-1 return over the course of the year.

Why now? In my experience, this is the one element that most people miss in their sales presentations, yet it is crucial for injecting urgency and getting people to say yes today!

You absolutely MUST complete your presentation with a Reason To Act Now. What are some compelling 'reasons to act now'? Scarcity is one. 'There are a limited number available at this price' or 'This price will only be available to the first 10 people to respond'. Impending price increases are another 'This is an introductory offer until Wednesday 7th June. On that day the price will increase'. If you use scarcity to compel immediate action, make sure that the incentive really IS limited, or you will hurt your credibility and damage your relationship with the customer.

The one thing I can promise you, is if you make sure your sales messages to customers answer these 5 questions, then your conversion rate will increase dramatically.

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About The Author:

Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter for trainers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then get your free tips now at http://www.clientmagnets.com.

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