5 Most Powerful Sales Questions Ever | Selling Made Simple

Communication—it’s a delicate art when talking with potential buyers. Ask the right questions, you’re driving enthusiasm and closing successfully. But ask the wrong ones and you’re sabotaging deals and looking like a fool doing it.

That’s why in this video, we’re covering the 5 most powerful sales questions. From discovery calls a d demos to closing like a champ, these questions are guaranteed to skyrocket your numbers and catapult you well past your quotas.

Best Selling Questions, Ever

Now before we get started, think about it for a sec—are you asking prospects the right questions?

I’m not just talking about when you first connect or on discovery calls here. But instead, the right questions throughout the entire sales process.

See, asking bad questions sinks sales.

It makes you look like an idiot. It scares off picture-perfect buyers. And it leaves leads thinking, “Why would I ever want to work with that guy?”

Now, I covered the top five sales-sinking questions in a previous video. And if you haven’t already seen it, go give it a look when you finish this video.

But what are the good questions? The ones that dig into the heart of your buyer’s pain points? That uncover the real problems they’re facing? That are built to quickly qualify prospects while driving enthusiasm, building rapport, and nudging the right leads ever closer to saying “YES!”?

That’s exactly what I’m covering in today’s video. So if you’re ready to start asking the right questions throughout your sales process, let’s jump right in.

Now, first up, like I said, is perhaps the most powerful sales question you can ever learn. And you’ll be surprised at just how simple it is.

1) “Does It Make Sense to…?”

That’s it? That’s it!

“Does it make sense to…?”

This questions is straight out of the Closing Framework from inside Selling Made Simple Academy.

What’s so great about this question is that it makes selling a collaborative process. Rather than going for a hard push to buy or even to set up a call, you’re getting input from the buyer. Are they ready to move forward? And if not, you get the opportunity to ask, “What’s holding you back?” You can then deal with any objections or sticking points directly rather than uncover them further down the sales process.

Now, this question isn’t just for when it comes time to close the deal. Instead, it can be used throughout the entire process. From setting up discovery calls and demos to getting into pricing and going over the finer details.

The point here is that this question…

• Relieves buyer pressure and lets them know you aren’t going to hit them with aggressive sales tactics…
• Keeps them updated on where you’re at in the sales process and which steps are next. And it…
• Forces the buyer to think logically about whether they’re a fit or if they have objections.

I’m going to be going into greater detail on how this question works in an upcoming video. So if you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button now so you don’t miss it.

Now, let’s look at the next set of powerful questions.

These next four questions come directly from The Diagnose Framework, which is particularly perfect for discovery calls, demos, sales calls, and everything in between. And we’re going to start with this question…

2) “What’s Stopping You From Solving This Issue Yourself?”

There are two benefits specifically to asking this question.

On the one hand, you’re qualifying the prospect. If they can solve the problem themselves, then they’re not going to value your solution as much as it deserves. And that can cause issues down the road. On top of that, this question will also uncover any hidden obstacles that make it clear this lead just isn’t a fit.

But secondly, this question makes the value that you offer real. What’s holding you back from solving this issue? Well we can overcome that obstacle. And we can provide tangible, often quantifiable value that you can’t get on your own.

Qualifying power with a hint of driving enthusiasm. Perfect.

3) “When Do You Want to Solve This Pain?”

Timeline is such an important part of the qualification process. Do they need their problem solved sooner than you’re able to roll out your solution? If so, this isn’t a good fit.

And conversely, are they looking to solve this problem two, three years down the line? If that’s the case, they likely aren’t motivated enough to draw up a contract now, and they may just be fishing for information (let marketing handle that).

But this question also opens up the conversation on what the buyer should expect too. How long does your solution take to implement? What’s the onboarding and training process like? And is that within their time window? If not, they can self-qualify themselves out, making things easier on you today.

4) “What Is Your Motivation to Make This Happen?”

Now, this one is especially clever in my opinion. Because beyond just learning more about what factors are driving your prospect’s decision-making, this one question also does wonders for connecting with your buyer’s emotions.

President and CEO of Whetstone Inc., Adrian Davis, put it to me like this:

“Fundamentally, we make decisions emotionally, and if all we're doing is spouting features and benefits, we're really engaging the logical part of the brain. The logical part of the brain does not make decisions. But analyses and captures information to weigh pros and cons, but decisions are made emotionally.” – Interview with Adrian Davis, President & CEO of Whetstone Inc.

What are the factors that are driving your buyer’s need to get this done? Is it just the numbers? Or is there company status, respect, and even on-the-job fulfillment involved too?

If you take the time to dig a bit, I guarantee you’ll find there’s much more to the story than just logic. And when you engage that side too, you’ll find yourself closing more deals than ever.

5) “If We Can Solve X, Will You Commit to Y?” 

Now, it should be noted here that this question should follow some sort of qualifying affirmation. Usually I pair it with, “You’re a good fit for us” first.

But essentially the value here is this: You’re in the business of exchanging value. The buyer pays for your product. And in return, they get a solution to their problem.

This question makes that even exchange of value clear. They aren’t doing you any favors by buying your product just as you aren’t doing them any by selling to them. Instead, you’re coming to this deal on equal footing.

This helps reinforce the fact that this should be a reciprocal relationship rather than a one-sided one. And it’s designed to create the foundation for an equal, dare I say synergistic, relationship.

Summary

And there you have it—the five most powerful sales questions you can ask buyers.

When you add these questions to your arsenal, and when you train yourself to ask them naturally, you’re bound to start closing more sales, building rapport, and sailing through the sales process easier than ever before.

It’s just plain smarter selling.