It's Not about Controlling with Questions
By John Aberle | Prospecting , Sales and Marketing , Soft Sell
When I first experienced sales training, the trainers sometimes gave me the feeling that questions were a form of cattle prod designed to guide prospects down the chute to the slaughter house. For any soft sell salesperson, that is an unacceptable approach.In soft sell sales and marketing, the role is that of a trusted advisor or consultant. We use questions to understand, not to control. One of my clients, Scott, shared with me yesterday his excitement about how well open-ended questions worked for him last week. (Note: Open-ended questions ask who, what, when, where, why, how — they invite the other person to talk more and explain her meaning.)
Looking back, Scott realized Continue reading


