how to teach salespeople to always ask the right questions
TRANSCRIPT
How to Teach Salespeople to Always Ask the Right Questions
Michael HalperFounder and CEO
SalesScripter
The Way Things Usually Work
Most Companies Don’t Teach What Questions to Ask
Company Info Product Info Internal Processes
Sales Methodology
Quota Territory Go Make it Happen
The Way Things Usually Work
Salespeople Have to Figure Out What Questions to Ask
• Leads to on-the-job learning• Learning through trial-and-error• Opportunities are missed due to not asking
the right questions• Deals are lost• Sales performance is not what it could be• Long new hire ramp up time• Can lead to some of the sales staff turnover
Product and Company
KnowledgeExperience
Personality and
Instincts
Hard Work / Activity
Core Concepts
The best salesperson is the one the asks the best questions.
• Makes calls and meetings more interactive
• Makes a better impression
• Extracts valuable information
• Will Minimize “All About Me”
• It is the opposite of what bad salespeople do
Core Concepts
Asking good questions can be taught/learned.
• A salesperson can learn to ask good questions regardless of:– Their level/years of experience– Sales skills they currently have– Personality style
Core Concepts
The questions are easier to teach than the answers.
• It can take a very long time for a sales person to learn the answers to all of the questions that a prospect may ask – months to years.
• With the right sales tools, a salesperson can learn what questions to ask in a matter of days.
• A salesperson can sound credible by asking good questions even without knowing the answers to the prospect’s question.
• You can shorten new hire ramp up time by focusing more on teaching the questions to ask.
Core Concepts
Good salespeople can be developed and created.
• Does not matter the level of experience, sales skills or personality type
• Requires ability to learn, follow a process, motivation ability to communicate at a professional level
• Providing clarity around the right questions to ask will have a direct impact on improving sales performance
Types of Questions to Ask
• Pre-Qualifying
• Hard Qualifying
• Meeting Questions
• Networking Questions
• Closing Questions
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Example: SalesScripter for Sales Managers
• How concerned are you about the amount of time it takes to get new sales hires ramped up and performing?
• How confident are you that all of your sales resources are saying and asking the right questions when talking with prospects?
• How important is it for you to get under-performing sales resources to meet or exceed their objectives?
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Example: SalesScripter for Salespeople
• How do you feel about your sales pitch and talk tracks?
• Do you think that you are saying the right things and asking the questions when talking with prospects?
• How important is it for you to improve your ability to generate more leads and have more success prospecting?
Pre-Qualifying Questions
Building Your Pre-Qualifying Questions
Step 1: Identify Target
Prospect
Step 3: Identify Prospect’s
Benefits
Step 4: Identify Prospect's
Problems
Step 5: Develop Probing
Questions
Ex:
Sales Manager
Ex:
get new sales people trained quicker
Ex:
it takes a long time and is difficult to get new sales resources trained and ramped up
Ex:
How concerned are you about the amount of time it takes to get new sales hires ramped up and performing?
Step 2: Identify Product to
Sell
Ex:
SalesScripter
Pre-Qualifying Questions
When to Use Pre-Qualifying Questions
• Cold calling
• Networking
• Responding to objections
• Talking to gatekeepers
• In first conversations (appointments/meetings)
Hard Qualifying Questions
Need vs. Want Questions
• What happens if you do not do anything and do not make a purchase or make any changes?
• What improvements will you see if move forward with this purchase?
• Is there at date when this purchase needs to be made?
• What happens if the purchase is not made by that date?
• What is the time frame that the project needs to work along?
Hard Qualifying Questions
Availability of Funding Questions
• Is there a budget approved for this project?
• What is the budget range that the project needs to fit in?
• Have the funds been allocated to this purchase?
• What budget (department) will this purchase be made under?
• Are there other purchases that this funding may end being used for?
• How does the project fit with other initiatives from a priority standpoint?
Hard Qualifying Questions
Decision Making Authority Questions
• What is the decision making process?
• What parties will be involved in making the decision?
• What functional areas (departments) will be impacted by the purchase?
• Who is the ultimate decision maker?
• Who is the person that will need to sign the agreement/contract?
Hard Qualifying Questions
Level of Intent Questions
• Why did you take time out of your schedule to meet with us? Why did you contact us?
• What other options are you considering?
• How do you feel about their solution (product)?
• What do you like about their solution (product)?
• What do you not like about their solution (product)?
• How does their solution (product) compare with what we have to offer?
• Is there a reason why you would choose us?
• If you had to make a decision today, which way would you lean?
Closing Questions
Trial Closing Questions
• What do you think of what we have discussed so far?
• How would that feature help your operation?
• Is this something you could see your employees (organization) using?
• Are we heading in the right direction?
Closing Questions
Soft Closing Questions
• What would you like to do next?
• What direction would you like to go in?
• Do you want to continue talking about this?
• When would you like to talk again?
Closing Questions
Hard Closing Questions
• What would you need to be able to make a commitment to move forward?
• If you had everything that you want, are you prepared to move forward?
• When are you going to make your final decision?
• (If delaying the decision) What will change or be different at that time that will make that a better time to look at moving forward?
Meeting Questions
Intro Questions
• How is your day going so far?
• How long have you been here? What did you do before?
• Where are you originally from?
• I have our meeting going to 2pm. Does that still work for you?
• I know why I would want to meet with someone in your role. Can you share with us why you agreed to take time out of your day to meet with us?
• Our plan for this meeting is to discuss ____, _____, and _____. Does that match up with your expectations?
Network Questions
Intro Questions
• How is your day going so far?
• What do you do?
• How long have you been doing that?
• What did you do before?
• What do you like most about what you do?
• Is there something that motivated you to get into that type of work?
• Where are you from?
Network Questions
Partnering Questions
• What brought you to this event?
• Have you found this to be a productive event for you?
• Are there any other networking events that you recommend?
• How can I help you to be successful?
• What does a good prospect look like for you?
Tools – Question Lists
Tools – Sales Scripts
Tools – Scripting Software
Tools – Question Trees
What is SalesScripter?
Cold Calling
Objections
Gatekeepers
Sales Messaging
Voicemail
Qualifying
Closing
Sales Process
Rapport
Building Interest
Cold Emailing
Setting Appointments
Building Credibility
Call Cadence
• Provides complete clarity for what a salesperson should do and say
• Very practical and easy to understand / implement / adopt
• Consultative selling approach
• Many tactics are counterintuitive
One Half - Sales Methodology
What is SalesScripter?
Cold Calling Scripts
Objection Responses
Key Questions
Marketing Tools
Voicemail Scripts
Meeting Scripts
Cold Email Templates
• Software platform that provides all the tools needed to execute the methodology
• Campaign-based (buyer persona) structure
• Makes it extremely easy to implement and reinforce the methodology
One Half – Prospecting Platform Software Application
Complete Sales Training Solution
Cold Calling
Objections
Gatekeepers
Sales Messaging
Voicemail
Qualifying
Closing
Sales Process
Rapport
Building Interest
Cold Emailing
Setting Appointments
Building Credibility
Call Cadence
Methodology
Salesperson
Manager
Cold Calling Scripts
Objection Responses
Key Questions
Marketing Tools
Voicemail Scripts
Meeting Scripts
Cold Email Templates
Software PlatformResources and Services
Books
Training Videos
One-on-One Coaching
Sales Consulting
Live Training
Completely
Aligned
Resources
• Five ebooks – Found at https://salesscripter.com/ebooks/– Do’s and Don’ts of Cold Calling– How to Get around Cold Call Objections– How to Build a Value Proposition that Generates
Leads– How to Build Sales Campaigns that Sell– How to Build Email Drip Campaigns that Convert
Sales
• The Cold Calling Equation – PROBLEM SOLVED– Found at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cold-Calling-Equation-Problem/dp/1468173545
Our Books
Training
• Week 1– Understanding the Ideal Sales Process– How to Make Cold Calls– Appointment Setting Tactics– Voicemail Messaging Methodology
• Week 2– Sales Messaging Workshop– How to Get Prospect’s on the Phone– How to Get Around Objections– How to Incorporate Buyer Personas into Your
Selling– Overview of a 2-Step Qualifying Process
New Hire Onboarding Training Program / Sales Prospecting 101• Week 3
– How to Build Your Value Proposition– How to Focus on Prospect Pain– How to Get Around Gatekeepers– How to Perform the Perfect Takeaway
• Week 4– How to Build Rapport, Interest, and
Credibility– How to Improve Mental Strength When
Selling– How to Be a Better Closer
* Available through e-learning videos, live virtual, or live in-person* Can be tailored to your business
SalesScripter
What do you sell? ___________
How does it help? ___________
What problems do you fix? ___________
What questions should you ask? ___________
SalesScripter
SalesScripter
If You Want More Help
• https://www.youtube.com/user/LaunchPadSol• Or search Sales Scripter• Over 130 videos• Sales Prospecting 101 Training Program• Webinars• Sales Tips• SalesScripter demo videos• Subscribe
Step 1 – Go to our YouTube Channel
Resources
• Five ebooks – Found at https://salesscripter.com/ebooks/– Do’s and Don’ts of Cold Calling– How to Get around Cold Call Objections– How to Build a Value Proposition that Generates
Leads– How to Build Sales Campaigns that Sell– How to Build Email Drip Campaigns that Convert
Sales
• The Cold Calling Equation – PROBLEM SOLVED– Found at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Cold-Calling-Equation-Problem/dp/1468173545
Step 2 – Get Some of Our Books
If You Want More Help
• Free 30 day trial– Found at https://salesscripter.com/members/signup
• Scripter Walk-Through– 2 hour coaching session– We answer all of the questions with you– Included with an annual subscription
Step 3 – Sign up for SalesScripter Trial
If You Want More Help
• One-on-one Sales Coaching
• Sales Consulting– Script development– Strategy development– Sales process development
• Sales Training– Custom sales training programs– Content aligned with your information in SalesScripter– Delivered virtually or in-person
Step 4 – Contact us for Coaching, Consulting, or Training
Questions?
Michael HalperFounder and CEO
www.salesscripter.com