“Open-ended questions are very powerful tool when it comes to dealing with our customers. We want to listen and we want them to do the talking.” – Malvina EL-Sayegh in today’s Tip 581
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Transcript
Scott Ingram: You’re listening to the Daily Sales Tips podcast and I’m your host, Scott Ingram. Today’s tip comes from Malvina EL-Sayegh. With 10 years of corporate sales experience, Malvina is a sales coach and founder of the #stayhuman podcast which focuses on demystifying sales. Here she is:
Malvina EL-Sayegh: How often do you tune out. In today’s world, we are surrounded with information from all different sources, newspapers, magazines, social media, friends, and family. In fact, we have so much information it’s not information we need when making a buying decision, it’s meaning. The role of a good salesperson in today’s society is an individual who is able to provide meaning to their customers. Not facts and figures, customers want to know how can a specific product or solution solve their problem. What does it mean to them? Having too much information makes us feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Let’s rewind back 50 years ago, when knowledge was power. Knowledge and information was only in the hands of the select few. The word on the street was tell me everything you know, that is because consumers, 50 years ago, did not have access to the information that we have today. How does this change the role of salesperson?
In today’s society agreed salesperson is one that is able to provide meaning to their customers. We want to answer the question. What does this mean for you? How can this help your situation? I want to teach you a very simple technique that can help you become a meaning maker for your customers. The technique is called digging for the carrot. Look at it this way. A carrot has above the surface part and below the surface part. And those are the two types of questions that we will focus on. Below the surface are questions that aim to uncover points of view, feelings, and opinions. Everything on the surface is factual. What. What is happening? How is it happening? Whereas everything below the surface is how does that make you feel? How does that impact your current situation? What impact does that have on your organization? Open-ended questions are very powerful tool when it comes to dealing with our customers. We want to listen and we want them to do the talking. If we look at open-ended questions, think of them like the carrot, the top bit aims to establish the facts and the figures. Whereas the bottom bit aims to uncover points of view, opinions, and feelings.
Start with the facts, move onto the feelings. Once you uncover that you will be in a position to better understand your client’s situation and help them get meaning.
Scott Ingram: To learn more about Malvina, subscribe to her #stayhuman podcast and connect with her on LinkedIn, just click over to DailySales.Tips/585 and we’ll have those links for you there.