The Best Sales Questions to Ask in 4 Easy Steps

What Are the Best Sales Questions?
The best sales questions predictably lead to better customer relationships, higher win rates and more successful salesforces.

Sales is an Art
Being able to ask good questions during the sales process is an art.

Asking effective questions is a necessary skill for journalists, a developmental skill for salespeople who sell solutions, and a desirable skill for conversationalists. As far as sales is concerned, good sales 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.

4 Steps to Asking Effective Questions During the Sales Process
Here are four proven steps to raise your game:

Start with Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions cannot easily be answered with a single word. Begin with the classic who-what-why-where-when-and-how questions that are open-ended and encourage deeper and wider conversations.

Open-ended questions help to create personal and professional connections while opening the door for you to learn what matters most to your prospects.

While most sales people know that open-ended questions work well, we are constantly surprised by how many sales reps (regardless of their experience level) ask too many closed-ended questions and limit their ability to create more meaningful relationships and solutions.
Be Concise with Your Questioning
Get right to the question mark. Don’t ramble. You will lose focus and your prospective client will likely be confused. Concise questions contribute to the quality of the discussion and hopefully add valuable perspectives and insights along the way.
Embrace Silence
Do not chatter through silence. Accept and appreciate the pause. Counting to 10 before speaking again can help you become more comfortable. Your listener will soon fill it hopefully with the answer or information 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 sharing information.

Many sales reps find it challenging to be authentic to themselves and their company’s brand in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations. Ultimately, authenticity creates trust and respect.

Sales people who are authentic have high levels of self-awareness, find meaningful and genuine connections with their clients, are OK making mistakes, and remain present when they interact with their clients.