How to Take Your Problem Questions Deeper | Effective Selling Skills Training

Your analyses of prospects’ and clients’ businesses should focus on the problems that need solving. By asking a series of questions designed to size up the problem, its severity, and its impact on other costs or problems, you are able to get the prospect to tell you if this is a need. A need is a problem that is cost justified to fix. Cost can be justified in dollars or in hassle.

Costing Problems

Some novice professionals may be uncomfortable asking problem questions. However, taking your problem questions deeper in order to get your prospect to project the effect of problems on other problems and opportunities, is a powerful way to uncover needs. For example, you might discover that total accounts receivable are averaging 65 days before collection. You have also confirmed that management perceives this as a problem. You could ask, “What does it cost you annually for the working capital for accounts over 30 days old?” Or, you could go on, “What does it cost you, in terms of accounting department staff and mailing and telephoning, to collect accounts once they exceed 30 days old?”

When your prospects say something themselves, they believe it more than they do if you say it. You could certainly say, “You have $560,000 tied up in accounts over 30 days, so you stand to lose $140,000 from the sales you have made. And your working capital line is at 5% per year. So, your working capital costs you over $28,000. You have one full-time person sending letters, making calls, and responding to requests for back-up, etc. This person costs you $50,000 per year in salary, benefits, office space, training, and supervision.” But by saying all this, you could be putting your prospect in a defensive position. If you are able to get your prospects to say this, then they will not be as defensive and will be more likely to recognize that they have a need.

Conclusion

When your prospects answer your questions, they will remember what they said more than they will remember what you said. This process is very helpful in preparing your prospects to tell other people in their organizations about the issues. When you can prepare your prospect for internal selling, you are impacting the sale at many levels in the business.