Being able to ask good questions is an art. It is a
necessary skill for journalists, a developmental skill for salespeople and a
desirable skill for conversationalists. As far as sales is concerned, good questioning
skills are essential, value selling training experts say, for success. It is
the basis for learning (and teaching) just exactly what your customers want and
need.
Here are four steps on how to do it right:
- Start Open-Ended: Begin with the classic who-what-why-where-when-and-how questions that are open-ended and produce more detailed answers.
- Be Concise: Get right to the question mark. Don’t ramble. You will lose focus and your target will be confused.
- Embrace Silence: Do not chatter through silence. Accept the pause. Counting to 10 before speaking again can help you become more comfortable. Your listener will soon fill it…hopefully with the answer you were looking for.
- Be Authentic: Don’t appear to understand if you don’t. Ask a follow-up or clarifying question instead…especially if it gives them a chance to be the expert and keep talking.
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