THE NOODLE LOG: Three Relationship Building Money Question Types

Many sales professionals miss two key ingredients when building relationships. Asking APPROPRIATE questions that identify challenges and affects and listening to the response. The success is all about the customer and creating a business partnership instead of the client buying from you because you discounted for the lowest price. The reason that many of these conversations never turn into a regular account is because the sales professional spends too much valuable time talking about their product or service. This turns the interaction into a persuasive speech instead of focusing on what is most important to the client. The client in turn becomes impatient, retaining little information resulting in ZERO IMPACT.

To fix this, the sales professional must be 100% SINCERELY COMMITTED to helping the potential client grow his/her business. The relationship must be perceived as a business partnership. Establishing the true need and demonstrating empathy for the client can be originated from the Noodle's three Consultative Questioning types.


1. Identify the Predicament

2. Uncover the Consequence of the Predicament.


Why are only two questions reflected? Because the third question will surface in next week's edition of THE NOODLE'S LOG.


Most sales professionals are taught to ask questions which uncover facts. While these are important, they don't ignite any decisions that excite the client about a partnership. Example: How long have you been in business? This is nice to know and shows that you care, but doesn't directly impact your client's success.


An example of how this works comes from the technology industry.


Sales Professional: What is the most important thing to you in a relationship with a computer chip partner? (Attempts to uncover what the client truly cares about, but doesn't always get us in the right direction as reflected below).


Potential Client: I am really looking the lowest price. (I'll bet PRICE isn't really the issue. What do you think?)


Sales Professional: Well, I can certainly understand that. Having been in business myself, I spent considerable time shopping for the lowest price (showing empathy, that you understand...this disarms the client). Has there ever been a time when you received the lowest price, but had a faulty product or missed a deadline? (This is Step 1...getting the customer to identify their predicament)


Potential Client: Of course there has.


Sales Professional: Can you give me a specific example? (This assists the client in speaking specifically. It actually enables them to tell a story. Now, it's time to listen).


Potential Client: It happened just last week. One of our vendors from Fir Knuckles sold us 200 microchips for our network. It actually caused a minor virus which got us to lose critical data in several of our databases. (Now, the customer has been specific about their true need. This will make it easier when it's your turn to present a solution. Now, you understand their biggest challenge).


Sales Professional: How did that impact your relationship with your other customers (You already know the answer to this question)?


Potential Client: All heck broke lose. When customers called in to find out information about their accounts, our service representatives had to tell them that our systems were down. This caused us to lose credibility. As a manager, I received several customer complaints. I had five customers telling me that they had made the decision to take their business elsewhere. (Step 2...the consequence of the predicament has been uncovered).


Now, you have accomplished several objectives:

1. You listened 80% of the conversation. Listening allows your customer to feel like what they say is important. People who listen more than they talk are automatically perceived to be smarter.


2. You found out the truth about what is keeping your client awake at night. Now, doesn't this make it easier to draft a presentation?


There are next steps to this conversation. Next week, we will uncover, how to make your presentation brief (because most decision makers do not have long attention spans). However, we will discuss how to make what you say apply directly to the consequence that we have uncovered. Our second objective involves the WIIFM question which will allow the customer to take ownership of the benefit.


This is the Noodle, signing off. We throw another LOG onto the fire.