“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”
James Thurber (1894 – 1961) Author and Cartoonist
A friend of mine reminded me that selling is not about what you say to the customer, but rather it is about the questions you ask. Many salespeople are in love with their own words and ideas. They are often described as having the “gift of gab” which means that they really just talk too much. Instead of asking open-ended questions and listening, talkative salespeople talk too much.
They ramble on and on about product features to fill the dead air (which is extremely uncomfortable for a talkative person). Worse yet, they invariably talk about themselves, which is the last thing that the buyer wants to hear.
Meanwhile, the buyer ultimately buys from the seller who best understands their problems or needs. Of course, you don’t get to understand the buyer’s needs by talking. Great salespeople ask questions to learn about the buyer’s motivations, concerns, and desires. It is really that simple.
Ask questions to discover what matters most to the customer. If you must speak, then talk about what matters most to the customer.
John Bradley Jackson
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