Don’t Ask Yes or No Questions in Sales

Continuing with our sales theme from yesterday, the next topic I want to look at is asking questions during the sales process. We’ve been trained by our parents to be polite and ask yes or no questions (e.g. can I have a second piece of cake, can I go to Jimmy’s house, etc). The problem with yes or no questions during sales is that you’ll do all the talking and prospects will quickly close out the conversation. The most important thing you can do during sales is to get the prospect talking by asking quality, open-ended questions that start with the following words:

• Who
• What
• Where
• Why
• When
• How
• Which

A great question to always have handy is “How so?” That way, the prospect can continue explaining whatever it is they were talking about and go into greater detail. The best sales people are great listeners and ask great questions. Sales is about listening more than selling.

What else? What are some other tips related to asking questions in sales?