opening probing

8/13/2019 Opening Probing

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Probing is . . .

The process of getting sales-related

information from your customer

Asking questions (an essential skill ofa professional salesperson)

Uncovering information so it doesn‟t

look like you‟ve been „snooping‟ (i.e.OK for you to know that)



Probing Objectives

To discover what your prospect wants/needs and why.

To reconfirm/revise customer profile information.

To reveal customer business details (practices, values,

problems, loyalties, who makes buying decision, etc.). To make customer aware of better ways/products.

To stimulate interest in your product.

To demonstrate your concern for your customer.

To obtain information you can use to later build yoursales presentation around.

To get customer talking/opening up.



Types of Probing Questions

1) Open ended

2) Closed



Open-ended Questions

1. OpinionHow do you feel about . . .

What would be your reaction to . . .

What do you think about . . .

Do you agree that . . .2. Elaborative

What kinds of problems (concerns) are you . . .

What are the main things (benefits) that you look for in . . .

What do you like best (advantages) about . . .

Why do you feel that way?

Explain . . .

How do you . . .

Describe . . .

Tell me about . . .



Examples of Specific Open-Ended

Questions

“Can you tell me about your corn program

and how you get the yields you do?”

“Will the new shelving you are installing

have any affects on your product mix or

other aspects of your business?”

“What are your biggest challenges in

keeping your dairy cows producing at peak

level, year round?”



Closed Questions

Usually asking for specific information

Usually require short answer to question suchas:Who

WhatWhere

When

Why

Yes/no

True/false

Agree/disagree

Often follow up with open-ended questions.



Examples of Specific Closed Questions

“What weaning weight do you normally shoot for?”

“Who are you currently getting your meat products from?”

“What rate of inventory turnover do you generally like toachieve?”

“When do you usually make your seed corn purchasedecision?”

“From the following list of reasons, which is the mostimportant to you in determining who you do business with?”

e.g. Equipment in good shape

Dependable/timely deliveryPrice

Knowledgeable/friendly salespeople

Accuracy in billing

Flexibility in ordering

Other ___________________________



More Selling Questions (Examples)

1. What is your main objective?

2. How do you plan to achieve that goal?

3. What is the biggest problem you currently face?

4. What other problems do you experience?

5. What are you doing currently to deal with this?6. What is your strategy for the future?

7. What other ideas do you have?

8. What role do others play in creating this situation?

9. Who else is affected?10. What are you using now?

11. What do you like most about it?

12. Hat do you like least about it?




13. If you could have things any way you wanted, whatwould you change?

14. What affect would this have on the presentsituation?

15. What would motivate you to change?16. Do you have a preference?

17. What has been your experience?

18. How do you know?

19. Is there anything else you‟d like to see?

20. How much would it be worth to you to solve thisproblem?

21. What would it cost, ultimately, if things remained asthey are?

22. Are you working with a budget?




23. How do you plan to finance it?

24. What alternatives have you considered?

25. What benefit would you personally realize as a result?

26. How would others benefit?

27. How can I help?28. Is there anything I‟ve overlooked?

29. Are there any questions you‟d like to ask?

30. What do you see as the next step?

31. Who else, besides yourself , will be involved in makingthe decision?

32. On a scale of one to ten, how confident do you feelabout doing business with us? What would it take toget that up to a ten?




35. When would you like to take delivery?

36. When should we get together to discuss this again?

37. Is there anything else you‟d like for me to take care of?



Probing – Concluding Comments

Probing involves „two-way‟ communication (between thesalesperson and the customer).

Probing increases customer participation, learning,satisfaction.

Probing involves not only „questioning‟ skills, but also„listening‟ skills Really listen, not just waiting to talk

Provide verbal feedback

Provide nonverbal feedback (eye contact, nod head, bodyposition, etc.)

Probing is easiest if you are talking about things ofinterest to your customer (avoid temptation to tell yourexperiences/opinions)



Probing Sales Quotes

In selling, like medicine, prescriptionbefore diagnosis is malpractice.

When I‟m telling, I‟m not selling.(Sales Upbeat , Jan. 5, 1995)

There is a difference between listeningand waiting for your turn to talk.




You have two eyes, two ears, and one

mouth. Use them in that proportion.

I don‟t learn anything new when I‟m

talking.

In selling, it isn‟t enough to aim to please;

you must also constantly strive to improve

your marksmanship. (Sales Upbeat, Oct.

13, 1994)




Samson slew 10,000 Philistines with

the jawbone of an ass. Every day

thousands of sales orders are killedthe same way. (Ben Schlain)

Wisdom is the reward for listening

when you would have preferred totalk. (Doug Larson)

opening probing

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