to help navigate your sales process
When calling on a prospect, most salespeople make one small error. They know exactly what they want to accomplish on that sales call. It usually includes introducing themselves to the prospect, telling them about their company, and the products they sell.
While there is nothing wrong with that sales call strategy, there is one missing piece of information. It’s like going on a road trip and setting your GPS for the destination. Again, nothing wrong with that except for one key piece of information. Your GPS needs to know where to start. It needs to know your location to give you an accurate and most efficient route to your destination.
A sales call on a prospect is no different. We want to take this prospect on a sales journey from the products they are currently buying to our products (sales destination). The mistake most salespeople make is not establishing where they are. I emphasize “they” because a sales call is the prospect’s journey, not ours. We’re just the tour guide.
To find out where a prospect is, we must use questions to get a better understanding of what the prospect knows. Then, you can begin your sales journey, which can end with your products as a great solution.
The challenge on a prospect call is working through a set of questions that brings out key information
To help with this problem, I developed a series of “GPS-type questions”. Their answers should give you a better idea of where this prospect is in their decision-making and their opinions of you, your company, and your products. All are structured in a “Have you ever ….?” format.
GPS-Style Sales Questions:
1. Have you ever bought from our company?
I recommend getting this question into the conversation as fast as possible. It can go right after you shake hands and tell the prospect who you work for. “Have you heard of them before?….Has anyone from our company ever called on you before?…..Have you ever done business with them before?” are all good versions of that first GPS question.
Save yourself a lot of time explaining and start the conversation off by finding out what they know about your company.
2. Have you ever bought these products or products like these?
This question is used later in the call, after you discuss the types of products you sell. This question is critical when you sell an unknown product, brand new, controversial, or one that has any gray area in its results. After briefly touching on the line of products, you can ask if they have ever used anything like it. Again, it will shorten or focus your sales discussion based on their response. If they have never heard of it, then you might have to walk them through the entire concept of the product. If they have used it, don’t now, then that is a great place to focus your sales call. Ask about that experience and focus on their opinion of the results they got when they used it.
3. Have you ever experienced _____insert the problem your product solves____ in your business or on your farm?
This question is critical to locking in your value later on. Most products solve a customer problem. The best products solve those problems in a unique way. You want to know if this customer has that unique problem. For example, “Have you had that late-season slump in growth rates?….. Are you seeing issues with resistance in these weeds?….Does your sprayer ever have these delay issues and get into your fields too late?”
Once you get a confirmation that they have this problem, you can move on to the next GPS questions.
4. Have you ever looked at ____insert your solution______?
This question comes in right after you confirm they have a specific problem that you solve for. You fill in the blank with the type of solution you sell. “Have you tried any of the biologicals? Have you ever looked at drone services?”
Once you have worked through these four questions, there is one more important question. Many salespeople will make the mistake at this point and jump into their presentation mode. They found a problem, and their products solve that problem. Excited, they want to share their solution. You have to fight every urge in your sales mindset not to present. You have one more very important piece of information to uncover. The impact of the problem in your customer’s words.
5. Have you ever calculated out what _____the problem___ has been costing you over the years?
This is called the “Impact Question”. It focuses on getting the prospect to tell you the amount of dollars, time, or emotions that this problem is costing them. Your solution is going to cost money. No matter whether you call it a cost or an investment, the prospect looks at you as a vendor who causes them to spend money. Before you ask for that money, establish the cost of the problem you are solving for them. You want to know if the solution you are presenting costs more or less than the problem it solves.
Prospecting and cold calling are some of the most feared activities in sales. Often, the struggle is knowing how to transition from the initial hello and handshake to asking good sales-style questions. These five GPS-style questions are an excellent way to make that transition smoother.
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
RSS