Formulating benefits

There are various ways to do this, all of which work. The important thing is to always start with the customer’s expressed need. Here are two examples from microscopy:

“You said that you attach particular importance to optimal image quality of images with polarization (expressed need). The most important prerequisite for this is that the microscope camera is very sensitive and has a short exposure time even in low light (benefit). This is achieved by the huge pixels on the sensor of our UC90 camera (product feature)”.

“The optimal image quality you need for polarized images (requirement) is achieved by the huge pixels on the sensor of our UC90 camera (feature). For you, this means that you can work with short exposure times even in low light thanks to the camera’s high sensitivity (benefit)”.

It is important always to present the benefits from the customer’s perspective. So not:
“Our coded nosepiece prevents incorrect measurements in the captured images and therefore, unnecessary retakes.
But rather:
“By coding the nosepiece, you will avoid incorrect measurements in your images and save the need to retake the picture.

In a final presentation, it is desirable to list the benefits developed in the needs analysis in a meaningful order. And in an ascending order, with the weakest benefit first and the strongest last. 

Needs Analysis

To sell, you need one thing above all else: information about the buyer. You need his motives and reasons for buying. The leading actor in the conversation is the customer, not the salesperson! You need to steer the conversation with targeted questions and listen actively. Only then can you formulate the product benefits and create a tailor-made offer. Avoid starting to present your products without knowing exactly what your customer needs. Keyword: Technical idiot beats customer to death!

If you sell more complex technical products in the B2B business, you often have to demonstrate them to the customer on-site. In this case, conducting the needs analysis before the demo appointment is essential. Either during the appointment or in a separate meeting. These days, this can often take the form of a video call. Your customer may be able to show you pictures or videos of the components to be tested, or you may be able to illustrate the differences between different product lines better. Driving to a customer site only to find that you don’t have the right equipment with you is highly frustrating for both parties. 

The Fundamentals of Needs Analysis

Great salespeople know how to turn a need, i.e., a customer’s desire or goal, into a desire for a product or solution. To do this, however, you must know the exact need. Use open-ended questions to get to know the customer and their background. Try to understand their goals and plans with procurement. It is essential to clarify any ambiguities. Sometimes, you will find that your customer has not thought everything through. Give them the time to do so, even if you find a “minute of silence” in the sales pitch uncomfortable. At this point, you are well on your way to discovering their real motivations for buying. The following points can serve as a rough guide during the conversation:

• What products or processes are currently in use?
• What is the current workflow?
• What has caused the customer to want to make changes?
• What is important to them in the future?
• What are their expectations for the product?
• How much money does the customer have to spend on the redesign?
• Should it be purchased, financed, or leased?
• What lead times can the customer accept?
• What are the next steps?

Make a note of what the customer says during the meeting. This will allow you to summarize the points made later and show that you care.

Do not be satisfied with the first answer you get from your interviewer. Keep asking questions until you really understand their motives. As Stephen R. Covey writes in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”: “Seek first to UNDERSTAND, then to be understood. First understand, then be understood! In this chapter, Covey teaches how to first listen respectfully, reflect, and ask clarifying questions. Only then can you communicate your intent and personal purpose. 

Choice of words in the needs analysis

You want to be perceived as severe when you talk to the customer. You want to build trust in you and your solutions. Your choice of words is essential.

Eliminate negative or vague words from your vocabulary:

“perhaps”, “possibly”, “under certain circumstances”, “possibly”, “if it is possible”, “it can be”, “if applicable”, “it would be conceivable”, “quasi”, “as good as”, “to some extent”.

Instead, please often use words like

“enhance” “promote” “increase” “augment”
“extend” “improve” “upgrade” “grow”

Or:

“lower” “save” “facilitate” “minimize”
“diminish” “reduce” “downsize” “facilitate”

And: 

“support” “maintain” “help” “be of assistance”
“lend a hand” “be useful” “promote” “contribute”

Possible Interview Process for Needs Assessment

Preparing for the Interview

As described at the beginning of this chapter, you will need information about your contact person and their company or employer. You will also need to have some knowledge of the industry.

You must enter the interview relaxed and confident. Your interviewer will know if you don’t have time for them, are not focused, or don’t believe in your product. Negative attitudes affect your body language. Your interviewer will notice this subconsciously. Arrive early and take time before the meeting to collect yourself and get in a positive mood! 

Throughout the meeting, you should never lose sight of one thing: Your goal is to sell!

Opening Phase

Small talk or no small talk? My recommendation: Let the customer decide. Wait and see if the customer starts small talk after the greeting. If he invites you to make small talk, be open and interested. Be curious and interested! If done well, small talk can earn you some brownie points. In some cultures, it is not acceptable to open the door directly. Keep this in mind if your counterpart is of a different nationality.

Small talk is about give and take. Avoid not only asking your contact questions but also revealing something about yourself. Build a relationship with them on a gut level. The customer will realize that you are interested not only in the business but also in them as a person. This builds trust – which is the most significant competitive advantage. To do this, address the person by name more often, which immediately creates a more personal feeling. This is a good starting point for a deeper conversation. Ensure your questions are related to the other person’s answers, and do not judge.

If you bring up topics on your initiative, do so with genuine interest. Is there a hot topic on the home page? Is there construction going on locally or a special building? Avoid topics like politics, money, and religion! The same goes for ethnicity, illnesses, or derogatory remarks about those present. You risk getting into a confrontation or at least putting your foot in your mouth. Both should be avoided at all costs!

Here is an (incomplete) list of possible small talk questions:

• How long have you worked here?
• What did you do before?
• Where did you study?
• How far do you live from work?
• What are your hobbies?
• How do you like the area/city?
• Is there anything in the region/city that I should see?
• Do you have any suggestions on where to go for dinner tonight?

Small talk often takes place on the way from the factory gate to the actual meeting place. Keep your eyes open, and you will always find something to talk about. Most people take pride in their work and enjoy talking about it. You have scored your first point if you can give appropriate and honest praise.

After the small talk, begin the needs analysis by announcing the content of the interview and asking permission to ask a few questions. This will allow you to take the lead in the conversation. For example:
“At EVIDENT, we have an extensive product portfolio in the field of microscopy. I want to ask you two or three questions to determine what is right for you. Is that okay with you?” 

Ask the right questions

Quality questions are an essential key to success because the question’s quality influences the answer’s quality! You can find information about the different questioning techniques and their preferred use here. You can work towards a later conclusion right at the beginning of the needs analysis. To do this, you must tailor the question to the expected goal. For example:

“What do you expect from our microscopes so that you can say in a few weeks that the investment was worthwhile? What do you need them to do?”

Repeating the question reinforces the effect and encourages the customer to think about that point. It is important to pause and let the customer think.

Sending the customer on a “mental journey” into the future is an excellent way to start a needs analysis. Ask them to think about what your products can do for them. In the subsequent discussion, the general “could do” must be transformed into a “will do” for them personally or for their company that is tailored to their needs. Otherwise, you will get nowhere, especially with products that require explanation. The demand must first be created for many specialties and applications of your complex products before the customer can benefit from them.

Possible examples to send your customer on a mental journey are

• Imagine that …
• What if …
• Can you imagine that …
• Suppose you were to … 

Keep the conversation going

Do not interrupt your customer when talking about their needs or the specific application of your products. If you have questions about what they are saying, write them down for later.

Keep the conversation going by following up. Don’t be satisfied too soon. Often, it takes repeated questions to uncover the customer’s real needs because they are not completely clear. Good phrases are:

• “What else do you expect?”
• “What else is important to you?”
• “What else can you think of?”

Don’t ask rhetorical questions, and never answer questions yourself! You may embarrass the other person by assuming knowledge that is not there.

Example: “You do know that you need the lambda plate to look at the Barker etching, don’t you?” Would you like to admit that you don’t know that? 

Bring in expert knowledge

If the customer has run out of information, you must add your ideas to the conversation. This is where your expertise comes into play. For example: “For other customers in your industry, it is also important that the probes of the borescopes do not leave micro-scratches in the polished tubes. Is this important to you?”

When you ask your counterpart about current problems, you should always start with a reference to someone else. For example, your contact uses outdated software: “We know from some customers in your industry that the lack of security updates for Windows XP systems is causing IT problems. How are you dealing with this?”

This way, you avoid the interviewer feeling directly criticized. You should also end each idea with a question and get feedback. That way, you always know where you stand in the interview. Never give up too early! Keep going until you are sure your offer is ideal for the customer. 

Avoid Misunderstandings – Clarify the Unknown

Misunderstandings can quickly arise when talking about complex technical products. This is especially true when you use industry acronyms that your counterpart may not be familiar with because they are new to the subject. So try to avoid them.

However, there are other communication pitfalls that can quickly lead to misunderstandings. Different communication models illustrate this. At this point, I would like to mention the sender-receiver model briefly:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sender-Empf%C3%A4nger-Modell.svg

The following quote summarizes the problems: Thought is not said, said is not heard, heard is not understood, understood is not wanted, wanted is not done, done and wanted is not done, and done is not maintained.
(The scheme’s source is disputed, attributed to various people, including Paul Watzlawick and Konrad Lorenz).

So, you need to clarify customer statements. Here is an example for delivery time:

• “You should be able to deliver quickly!”
• “How soon do you expect delivery?”
• “No later than two weeks!”
• “That means if we deliver by ….., is that okay with you?”

Tom DeMarco wrote about this in his book The Deadline:

“It’s not what we don’t know that gets us down; it’s what we mistakenly think we know.”

As described above, do not interrupt the person you are talking to. Take notes and clarify the details and ambiguities now. If you are unsure you have understood a statement made by the other person, actively ask! 

Summarize and prioritize statements

Work actively with the information you have received so far! To do this, review the information first: “To be sure that I have noted everything correctly: So it is important to you that … and …! Is this complete?”
Also, always ask for the client’s approval at this point in the needs analysis. This way, you actively involve the customer and ensure you are not making false assumptions.

You’ll also repeat uncomfortable points and not let anything fall by the wayside. It shows competence and honesty! You can be sure that your interviewer will pick up on this, and you will end up addressing the objection directly. 

Try to focus on the key points: “Of the points you just mentioned, which one is most important to you?” Now wait and give the customer time to respond. Then, ask more questions: “What else is very important to you?”

Emotional reasons

When selling technical products, salespeople tend to underestimate emotional reasons. Yet they play a significant role in your buying behavior. Do you buy your new car for rational reasons only? And where do you prefer to buy? From the dealer who gives you the best facts and technical details about the model, or from the salesperson you trust? Why do you buy your car from this particular dealer and not another?

We are human and make almost all decisions based on our gut. That is, our emotions override our logic. Advertising for many everyday products tries to appeal directly to this emotional level. For you as a seller of technical products, this means that people do not buy numbers, data, and facts but solutions to problems and security. You must be able to evoke these emotions in your sales pitch.

In his book “Secrets of Closing the Sale”, trainer and author Zig Ziglar writes in the chapter “Characteristics of the Professional Salesperson”:

“First, he must clearly understand that logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act.”

Behind every argument that the other person considers essential, there are emotions. Behind the most important ones, the biggest ones!
Question those emotional reasons. It could be the joyful expectation of an improvement or the desire to avoid pain lest something undesirable happen. Example:

Salesperson: “You just said that reliable and timely delivery is critical to you. Why is that so important to you? Have you ever been disappointed in this regard?”

Buyer: “On another order some time ago, we could not complete an order on time due to the late delivery of a measuring device. As a result, we had to pay a large penalty. It was very painful for our company.”

You will find that the person you are talking to is often unaware of the emotions behind their statements! If you can get to this level and (unconsciously) reassure the customer that you are avoiding these emotions (in the case of pain) or satisfying them (in the case of joy), you are well on your way to closing the deal. 

Preparing for the Close

This is where good salespeople differ from bad ones. When it comes to closing a deal, confidence is one of the keys to success. Less confident salespeople often get nervous when the price is asked. But after a suitable needs analysis, there is no reason for this. Your goal was not to have a pleasant conversation but to sell – and your counterpart knows it. He invited you because he needs something!

Until now, we have not demonstrated a product to the potential customer yet, but we can already prepare the deal. Ask for the order by referring to the points identified in the summary and prioritization. Example:

“I have a question: if I can fulfill arguments 1, 2, and 3 with our product within your budget, am I your partner? Will we work together?”
YES => Present the product!
NO => Find out the reasons!

By asking this question early, you create clarity and commitment from the start. There is no reason to spend time on a product presentation if the person you are talking to is not seriously interested in buying.

Work through these points during the presentation and always get immediate confirmation from your counterpart. If you meet all the expectations mentioned, you can return to the final question you asked earlier. With every positive feedback during the presentation, the customer is selling your product to himself. 

At this point, just a quick digression on price negotiation: Discounts are commonplace in sales, but they must not be part of the sales tactic from the start because giving discounts quickly reduces your margin. After a suitable needs analysis, you can assume that your offer is precisely tailored to your customer and satisfies their buying motives. If your product has these characteristics, a discount is not necessary. The basic rule for closing a sale is: first the value, then the benefits, and finally the terms and price.

Summary – the central theme of your needs analysis

It still needs to be written 🙂

Practical Tip: The Needs Analysis Form

Prepare a template to guide you through the needs analysis specific to your products. Use it to jot down your customer’s answers and priorities during the meeting. During your product presentation, go through the requirements point by point. After each confirmation from your customer, place a prominently displayed checkmark behind the fulfilled requirement. Ask the customer to make a copy at the end of the meeting. Take this with you and leave the original with the customer.

Not only does the form help you maintain a good structure for the conversation, but it also differentiates you from your competitors and leaves a lasting impression. This is especially true if your contact must internally argue for the purchase decision. Your form is then their internal argumentation aid. 

Your Attitude Toward Sales

Your attitude determines your success in sales. More than any other skill! Before you start your career, make sure you have the right mindset for the long term.

In this article, I will give you an overview of what I consider the most essential requirements. The basic rule is: hard work beats talent! Only those who can motivate themselves over the years to take the necessary steps will be successful in the long run. This is not easy because you have to deal with rejection and defeat in sales. The best way to do this is to enjoy and develop a passion for your work! 

Eight essential attitudes for sales excellence:

Successful salespeople take pride in their work!

You have one of the most essential jobs in our economy. Your work provides the revenue your company needs and the jobs of many of your colleagues. You also ensure that your customers make the best possible purchasing decisions. In doing so, you also contribute to their economic success. You do important work for both parties. You can present yourself confidently but respectfully to potential and existing customers.

The sales profession often has a negative image. Personal experience with unwanted calls from call centers and door-to-door salespeople makes this understandable. Don’t let that deter you! Build trust with the person you are talking to and work together to find the best solution. If in doubt, refrain from selling if this requirement is unmet. Then, you can be proud of your profession and be successful in the long run!

Successful salespeople set goals and reward themselves!

This doesn’t just mean the financial goals your company sets for you. This extrinsic motivation alone will not make you happy in the long run. Regularly set small goals that can be achieved in the short term. That way, you will always have a motivating sense of accomplishment.

This could be a product demonstration for an essential new customer or completing a sales training course. Break big goals down into smaller ones. Write down your goals and set a time frame. This will help you keep track of them. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal! This will motivate you to tackle the following tasks with vigor.

Successful salespeople care about the customer!

Don’t just sell your product. Help your customers solve their problems. To do this, you need to know your industry and the day-to-day operations of your target companies. Ask questions and take an interest in your customer’s individual situation. Identify bottlenecks and make suggestions to eliminate them. This way, you will be perceived as an expert and gain their trust.

Don’t just present a list of product features! Show how your solution improves the customer’s processes. Show them a path to a better future. Then, you will have good conversations about the benefits of your products – not the price. 

Successful salespeople are good listeners!

For us, talking is as natural as listening. That’s why we often underestimate the power of listening. To sell, you have to listen! You will fail if you just try to sell your product to your customers, regardless of their needs. Spend twice as much time actively listening as you do talking. Mnemonic: We have two ears but only one mouth!

Ask open-ended questions when the conversation gets bogged down. This will keep your interviewee talking and discover what motivates them to buy! Take notes in bullet points and summarize your customer’s statements in your own words at the end. Ask if you did not understand something or if the statements were too general. This will help you avoid misunderstandings. This is especially true on the phone, where you cannot see the other person’s facial expressions and body language.

Successful salespeople know their customer’s buying process!

Walk the customer through their process. Give everyone involved confidence that they are doing the right thing. Get confirmation at each step that you are on the right path to closing the deal together. Knowing where your customers are in the process is key to effective selling.

The people you are talking to want to deal with people who will help them make a buying decision. The most successful salespeople help their customers think not just about what to buy but how to buy it. Identify obstacles in the buying process and continually track progress. Don’t focus on selling your products. Instead, focus on how your customers make buying decisions.

Read more about this in the article “Customer-Focused Sales Process”.  

Successful salespeople focus on what matters!

There are many ways to waste time, but there is only one way to get it back. Value your time and your customer’s time. Create an agenda and set a time frame. Prioritize your tasks and always start with the most important one – even if it’s the most unpleasant!

Think on paper and make a plan. There are many good books on time management. I recommend Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy and Getting Things Done by David Allen. Brian Tracy writes, “One of the worst uses of time is to do something very well that doesn’t need to be done at all.”

Successful salespeople are always learning!

Lifelong learning is essential in sales. The world around us is evolving, as are our customers and their needs. The way companies buy is also constantly changing. Read something related to your job every day. The hours you spend in your car can be used with audiobooks and podcasts. That way, you’ll stay current and won’t be surprised by new developments.

Successful salespeople have courage and persistence!

The fear of saying “no” in everyday sales is a problem. No matter how hard you try, you may end up with a rejection at the end of the conversation. You have to deal with it. No one can close every sales call. Be bold and always ask for the business. Otherwise, you will waste too much time on offers that do not lead to success! If you are not successful, analyze why. Try to avoid those mistakes in the future. Then, turn your attention to new opportunities. 

Confident and friendly demeanor

Your entire demeanor changes with your inner belief in the service you provide. You will be more confident talking to customers if you know what your product can do. Therefore, always present yourself with a broad chest without appearing presumptuous. If you, as a sales engineer, are not confident in your product, why should the person you are talking to be?
The reason is apparent: enthusiasm is contagious – unfortunately, so is uncertainty.

Always be authentic. Don’t play a role for your customers and your environment. It only wastes energy. Be confident and competent. Never sell yourself short; you are all you have! 

The eye eats with you

You’ve probably heard this saying before, and it applies not only to a delicious meal but also to your work in sales. How you present yourself in terms of body language, clothing, and product presentation significantly impacts your sales success. With a coherent overall image, you convey confidence to your counterpart. Your counterpart will associate your positive appearance with your products. Your expertise is essential to your sales success, but not enough. If your personality repels your customer, you won’t sell anything!

Body Language

Before you say a single word to a new prospect, they have already formed a first impression of you. Based on your appearance alone. This includes body language as well as clothing.

There are many books on the subject, so here are just a few points:

Try to appear outgoing and confident. You can do this by maintaining an upright posture. Your hands should not be in your pockets but lightly on top of each other at the level of your navel. This allows you to support your points with gestures at any time. Maintain eye contact, but break it occasionally to avoid staring at your interlocutor. 

General Information on Interviewing Techniques

The following skills are among the most important characteristics of successful salespeople:

• They empathize with customers individually and understand their needs.
• Helping customers make good and correct decisions
• Be confident and enthusiastic about your products
• Ask the right questions and listen
  They accurately present individual customer benefits and advantages

The needs analysis is a large part of the entire sales process, and the above qualities are particularly important. Unfortunately, even salespeople with strong communication skills often succumb to the temptation to take the lion’s share of the conversation. This phase is about identifying the customer’s problems, learning (or awakening) their needs, and exploring their requirements. This is so difficult because the person you are talking to is often not 100% sure of themselves. They often describe the symptoms, but not the cause. Your job is to guide the conversation with a minimum of talking, asking questions, listening, and getting details.

Your ability to ask the right questions at the right time is essential.

Reasons for questions

• Questions bring answers.
  From an early age, we are taught to ask questions: Questions are answered. We learn this long before we learn to write.
• Questions stimulate the other person.
  Our brains look for answers to every question. It even provides answers to rhetorical questions.
  Questions provide information
  Almost a by-product, but the answers count, of course.
• Questions lead the conversation.
  He who asks leads. Because the questioner sets the primary direction of the conversation.
• Questions deepen the relationship.
  We like to be asked questions. It shows interest in us as people and as experts. Questions are suitable for the soul.
• Questions make for better conversations.
  In terms of content and humanity, questions enrich our conversations and, thus, our relationships.
• Questions help the other person convince themselves.
  Everyone has their own choice of words and language. Those who answer good questions listen to themselves and begin to convince themselves of their statements.
• Questions are answered – they are rarely contradicted.
  You can use questions to convey information and anticipate content. This is because the other person focuses on an answer, rarely on analyzing the question. 

Clarify customer statements

Success in sales depends on the ability to have effective conversations. Only when we communicate effectively can we get the information that matters from our customers. To achieve this, inaccurate statements must be challenged to get accurate answers.
Words such as all, everyone, forever, always, nothing, never, constantly, and everywhere… are quickly uttered but are usually not meant to be so “general”.
In practice, it will often be the case that statements contain multiple generalizations. In this case, start at a point that seems particularly appropriate to you. And if the answer itself is still imprecise, keep asking until you get the information you need or find a solution.

Here is an example:

Customer: “I’m disappointed in your offer.”
Salesperson: “Why are you disappointed in the offer?”

Customer: “The training you offer is way too expensive.”
Salesperson: “Compared to what, the training is too expensive.”

Customer: “Compared to the other training options I have on the table.”
Salesperson: “And how are those offers comparable?”

Customer: “I compare them based on content, and they don’t cover some topics in enough detail.”
Salesperson: “Is it just the topics, or are you dissatisfied with other items?”

Customer: “No, it’s just the topics.”
Salesperson: “What if I spent more time on those topics?” 

Customer: “I would like that, and then I would book the training with you.”
Salesperson: “Would you like to discuss these topics again now?”
Customer: “Yes, absolutely.”

Question Types

The open question

Example Questions

• How important is this particular product feature to you?
• What do you think about the new offering?
• How often do you need to replace or upgrade the product?

Objective

To motivate the interviewee to talk. To gather as much information as possible, prepare the following questions or mentally prepare the presentation line.

Principle

W-question words (who, how, what, when, how often, etc.) do not dictate an answer and leave plenty of room for the other person to respond.

Good for

• Gathering information
• Deepening the relationship
• Showing interest

Less good for

• Concrete agreements
• Making confirmations
• Ending the conversation

Professional tip

• Avoid “why” as a question word; it can create pressure to justify.
• Make extensive use of open-ended questions. They are a driver of success.

The closed question

Some examples

• So you are free on Thursday?
• Can we do it then?
• Are there any other unresolved issues?

The aim

To avoid ambiguous formulations and to obtain explicit confirmation in the form of a yes or no.

The principle

Closed questions limit the scope and allow only a yes or no answer. You should already know the topic and the other person’s attitude – otherwise, the restriction is often counterproductive.

Good for

• Confirmation
• Specific information (which I already know)

Less good for

• Discussing unknown information.
• Topics that allow many answers: “Do you play table tennis?” is too specific to talk about sports preferences.
• Building rapport because closed questions don’t give the other person space. 

Some tips

• Use closed questions intentionally to get confirmation.
• Avoid closed questions when you want to open up a conversation.
• Use closed questions selectively and purposefully.
• NO means “more information needed. If you ask a closed question too early, you will quickly hear a “no” – but this is not the end of the conversation, but often a request for an open question.

The Alternative Question

Some examples

• Back to the Greek or the Italian?
• Is Thursday or Friday better?

The aim

To confirm one of our alternatives.

The principle

People like to have a choice. The alternative question gives them one. Experience shows that decisions are accelerated when the question is “Do you want the red or the blue?” instead of “Do you want the blue?
By choosing the alternatives, the questioner significantly narrows the answer space and directs the answer. Therefore, the alternative question should be used with moderation and purpose. But those who master it can achieve a great deal with the alternative question.

Good for

• Speed up decisions
• Comparing two alternatives
• Making appointments

Less good for

• Finding information
• Building a relationship

Some tips

• Give two maximum of three alternatives.
• The last alternative is chosen more often. 

The Linking Question

Some examples

Person 1: “… and of course, ease of use is also an issue”.
Person 2: “I see… Ease of use. What experience have you had with it?”

Objective

By asking this question, you encourage dialogue. The other person realizes that you are listening. Often, the follow-up question prompts the other person to make a truly personal statement rather than a canned one.

Principle

Immediately follow up on the last point and ask a question, usually open-ended.

Good for

• Deepening the relationship
• Gathering information
• Professional chat

Less good for

• Making agreements
• Concluding the conversation
• Speed up a decision

A few tips

• Repeating the other person’s last words deepens the relationship. It shows “I have listened” and “I am on your side.
• Asking this question often significantly increases the other person’s conversational skills. You can gather important information this way. 

The Conducting Question

Some examples

The other day I promised you information about … I have the documents with me today, shall we look at them…?

Objective

To focus on or switch to a topic.

Principle

Changing topics in the middle of a conversation can have “side effects. We can minimize the risk by referring to what was said before or earlier. In this way, the change of topic does not seem arbitrary but is entirely focused on the person we are talking to.

Good for

• Focusing on one point.
• Changing the subject to a more promising argument.
• Showing our professionalism: we have listened, possibly taken notes, and are professionally guiding you through the topic, keeping the focus on the other person and what they have said.

Less good for

• Conclusions or agreements, as this usually opens up a new topic
• Arguments, such as “But you said that before” can damage the relationship.

Some tips

By opening a conversation this way, you show that you have been professional in taking issues from one meeting to the next, working on them, and bringing them back. This indicates not only professionalism but also respect. Anyone who wants to use this method should take notes. 

The Isolation Question

Some examples

• “Assuming we agree on the price, can I expect the order?”
• “If we hold the next event on a Thursday instead of a Friday, will you come?”

The Goal

When we get stuck in a conversation, the isolating question helps us to delimit obstacles and clarify objections. Misunderstandings and vague wording (obfuscation arguments) are clarified in this way.

The principle

When dealing with an objection, we take a last, seemingly insoluble objection and isolate it from other possible obstacles.

Good for

• Agreement and closure
• Clarification
• Handling objections

Less good for

Not very helpful if used early in the conversation, as it can encourage “objection thinking” in the other person.
It is also dangerous if there is no room for maneuvering on a specific issue. This is because the objection is fixed after the isolation question, and even small stumbling blocks can become significant obstacles.

A few tips

• Clarify beforehand with open and alternative questions.
• Use the isolation question, especially with decision-makers.
• Clarify beforehand that there is some wiggle room.

The Confirmation Question

Some examples

• “If I summarize once, then we have …. Is that correct?”
• “Okay, that means the next steps are concrete… Is anything else missing?”
• “Are these documents sufficient for you?”

Goal

The facts are summarized at the end of a formal needs assessment or interview. This avoids misunderstandings and ambiguities, such as who needs to do what.
In a sales meeting, the other party may add a point at this point, saving us a lot of work.

Principle

A short, to-the-point summary followed by a closed question – the closing question. The follow-up question is a broader closing question.

Good for

Confirmation, agreement, closure.

Less good for

• Clarifying needs
• Gathering information

Tips and tricks

• Put the most potent argument at the end of your list.
• Be direct and emphasize the benefits to your counterpart. “Mrs. Meier, so that we don’t miss anything, let me summarize: …”

The presenting question

Some examples

• “Did you know that we offer free shipping on orders of 6 or more?”
• “Did you know that our latest product is now being used in xxx?”

The aim

Anything you can say, you can ask. The leading question hides information for the customer in a question.

The Principle

The presenting question “piques” the customer’s interest. We present information, which is wrapped up in the question and immediately prompts the other person to respond.

The question is closed, the typical response is a “did you know” or “have you heard” response – and is usually something like “Oh really” or “I didn’t know that”. This response is an invitation to explore the topic further.

Good for

• Longer sales conversations
• Sales calls where we want to get out of a passive role

Bad for

Gathering information

Sales tips

• For these types of questions, be prepared with customer-relevant news.
• Information a third party can verify is more powerful than a mere statement.
• The question should resonate with something new and exciting.