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How to Ask Questions That Close the Sale

Date Posted: 2005-10-05

Sales training often focuses on teaching the rep to present more effectively. For many reps, however, the skill most in need of improvement is asking the effective, compelling questions that identify the customer's needs and business issues. It's essential that you understand the needs and business issues in order to propose an ideal "no surprises" solution.

Learning them doesn't happen by asking random questions, however. You have to get the customer to open up, to trust you, to express personal as well as business motivators, to clarify objections and to contribute toward crafting the appropriate solution. Increasingly, this is being accomplished with a modern-day take on the centuries-old teachings of Socrates.

The Ancient Greek philosopher taught his students to ask a series of easily answered questions that inevitably lead the answerer to a logical conclusion. Socratic Selling applies this principle in the sales call setting.

Among the many users of Socratic Selling is David A. Scribner, a training director at a large regional bank. He reports that salespeople from a wide range of business units have increased their sales results with this approach. Scribner conducted a test that compared the sales of trained salespeople against those who didn't get the training. The trained group increased sales by 73% while the other group had a 28% sales increase during the two-month test.


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