How Do I Train My Sales Reps to Ask Effective Questions?

New sellers struggle to make sales because they lack the skill and experience to ask well-crafted questions and build rapport with their prospects. In this episode of The Sales Evangelist, guest Tony Morris tells us the five ways for new sellers to sell like pros.

As an author, podcaster, entrepreneur, and speaker for sales conferences worldwide, Tony knows how any beginner in the sales world can stand out.  

Follow the 80/20 rule (but in the proper order)

• Sales reps should apply the 80/20 rule when talking to prospects: listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. (We have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that order.)
• Many salespeople use the 80/20 rule, but reversed. Tony’s first tip for new sellers: talk less and listen more. 
• When you encourage your prospect to talk more, you learn more about their needs and how you can help them.

Ask the right questions. 

• What makes a bad question? Any question that prompts a one-word answer. These questions are impersonal and don’t provide insight into the prospect’s journey.
• Instead, ask what Tony calls the “killer questions:” questions that allow you to understand what the prospect is looking for, what they’ve seen in your competition, and how you can help. 
• Sales managers should encourage their teams to ask open-ended questions. The goal is to hold a conversation, not an interrogation.

Treat people how they want to be treated.

• Remember the childhood The Golden Rule? Treat people how you want to be treated.
• In sales, throw that out the window. Follow the Platinum Rule: treat people how they want to be treated.
• You don’t respond to clients the same way every time because they all have different perspectives of what that looks like. Pay attention to how they want to be treated, and respond accordingly. 

Be interested, not interesting.

• Top salespeople are genuinely curious and interested in their prospects. Your job is not to sell but to serve by helping them buy what is most appropriate to their needs.
• Genuine interest will transform regular customers into ambassadors who recommend you to their friends, family, and colleagues.  

Be The Challenger 

• The book The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon challenged Tony’s perspective on sales. 
• Tony initially thought sales to be about relationships. However, this book shows most successful salespeople share insights to make their prospects think differently. 

Do the basics brilliantly.

• We over-complicate the sales process. The basics are pretty simple: schedule meetings, prepare questions to preempt objections, build rapport, understand problems, and develop solutions. 
• For example, you need to offer multiple touchpoints. If they are genuine prospect, connect with them on LinkedIn, comment on their post, send them articles of interest or a copy of your book. 
• Once you know how to do things the right way, you’ll want to keep going. The more you get good results, the more these actions become habitual.

 Connect with Tony Morris via his LinkedIn, and you can also check out his website, Tony Morris International.  

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com