Effective Questioning to Make Sales

Asking questions are a FUNDAMENTAL part of sales. We ask questions to get information so we can sell. There's a MAJOR problem there, though. We tend to get very repetitive in the way we ask questions then just product dump on people when they don't give us substantial answers. What do I mean? Let's look at a conversation...

REP: How did you go with?

BUYER: My family.

REP: Where did you sit?

BUYER: Cheapest ones.

REP: How often do you come?

BUYER: Couple times a year.

REP: Cool...Here's all of our ticket plans at once...which one do you want?

BUYER: I don't know. Can you put that in an email?

REP: Sure!

REP (after call): That guy wouldn't give me anything...but I think he's going to buy!

I've literally heard this conversation (and said it myself) 10,000,000,000 times. First, they aren't going to buy. They have just become a ghost account. Why? Couple things.

First, this is supposed to be a conversation...not a survey. Reps tend to ask questions like it's a survey. Fuck that noise! Talk to them! People want to be engaged...they don't want people talking AT them.

Second, they ask the same questions because they are so nervous about not getting enough information. There are three critical components to making a sale; number of tickets, number of games, seat location. EVERY one of your questions should revolve around answering those three components...and getting great information to be able to make a recommendation TO them...not product dump ON them.

Questioning is only truly effective when it is ENGAGING NOT SURVEYING, and DONE WITH PURPOSE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. Everything else is crap.