Direct Questions
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2025 9:11 am
Format: I +[show | give | enable] + [prospect persona role] + [major benefit to the prospect]
Example: I show Directors of Sales Strategy how to leverage people, process & technology to triple their sales qualified opportunities in as little as 6 weeks.
Know What Questions to Ask
Group your questions into these 4 categories:
Pain Questions
Questions that reveal a potential problem, difficulty, or dissatisfaction they are experiencing— one that your product or service can solve.
Example: What are you trying to do, specifically, to alleviate this problem?
Implication Questions
(This is from the SPIN selling model): Of Professor Rackham’s four brazil telegram data question types (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need), Implication questions are the toughest to master, but THE most effective in getting meetings!
They are the most powerful of all sales questions because they help the buyer see that his problem is serious enough to justify the hassle of spending time with you and taking that first meeting.
Example: What effect do these problems have on your competitive position? How will this problem affect your people’s productivity?
Use these when you want to know something specific before you can continue your conversation. You’ll get a short answer, but it shouldn’t be a YES or a NO answer.
Example: What were you hoping I could do for you?
Tie-Down Questions
This is a listening technique where you repeat back to the prospect paraphrasing what you heard, then getting agreement.
Example: You have missed your quota for 3 consecutive quarters, is that correct?
Example: I show Directors of Sales Strategy how to leverage people, process & technology to triple their sales qualified opportunities in as little as 6 weeks.
Know What Questions to Ask
Group your questions into these 4 categories:
Pain Questions
Questions that reveal a potential problem, difficulty, or dissatisfaction they are experiencing— one that your product or service can solve.
Example: What are you trying to do, specifically, to alleviate this problem?
Implication Questions
(This is from the SPIN selling model): Of Professor Rackham’s four brazil telegram data question types (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need), Implication questions are the toughest to master, but THE most effective in getting meetings!
They are the most powerful of all sales questions because they help the buyer see that his problem is serious enough to justify the hassle of spending time with you and taking that first meeting.
Example: What effect do these problems have on your competitive position? How will this problem affect your people’s productivity?
Use these when you want to know something specific before you can continue your conversation. You’ll get a short answer, but it shouldn’t be a YES or a NO answer.
Example: What were you hoping I could do for you?
Tie-Down Questions
This is a listening technique where you repeat back to the prospect paraphrasing what you heard, then getting agreement.
Example: You have missed your quota for 3 consecutive quarters, is that correct?