The first thing the seller should do is greet him. Moreover, it is highly desirable that the greeting be light and uncomplicated, and also be accompanied by a sweet, pleasant greeting. After all, as you know, it is the greeting that is the seller’s business card and one of the tools to win over the buyer.

After establishing initial contact with the buyer, the seller must immediately ask the visitor to the point of sale the question: “What are you interested in?” (or “How can I help you?”). If the buyer himself approaches the seller, the words following the greeting should be “I’m listening to you.”

If a potential buyer asks the seller for help while he is serving another client, he should apologize and ask the person asking the question to wait or contact another specialist (if possible). But in this situation, under no circumstances should the seller say: “Can’t you see that I’m busy,” much less accuse, raise his voice or shout at an interested store visitor. By doing so, you will not only violate the norms of professional ethics, but also put yourself in an awkward and disadvantageous position.

As soon as you are free, immediately go up to the buyer waiting for you, apologize again and say that you are ready to answer all his questions in detail.

When dealing with a buyer, the seller must be as sincere and truthful as possible. You should not mislead the client and lie to him, for example, by embellishing the characteristics of a particular product, because any lie will sooner or later be revealed. As a rule, the seller is given away by his own manners, behavior and intonation of communication. In addition, the seller should also under no circumstances hide his lack of interest and ignore his obligations to the potential buyer. In this case, we are talking about sellers who make all sorts of concessions and discounts in order to quickly sell the product and not spend a lot of time on one client. Such an attitude will not only disrupt contact with visitors to the retail outlet, but will also change the trusting attitude towards you, both from the buyer and from the management.

And lastly, a good salesman is considered to be one who loves his job and is completely dedicated to it. It is such a person who will be able to persuade and convince the buyer to purchase this or that product, while clearly justifying his statements.

There are a lot of problems when working with stores. They are overflowing with goods. The managers say that nothing is needed. To sell a product to a store, you need to offer not only a product, but something more: better service than competitors, a better solution to work issues. It is important to convince the client that he will not waste his time by starting to work with you.

Instructions

Understand an important point: with each new one there are new problems. The experience of previous mistakes from outside makes managers wary of new proposals. Therefore, the product consists of 2 parts: first you “sell yourself” as a reliable business partner, then you sell the product. Understanding this nuance will help you see the situation from the other side's point of view and find the right words during negotiations.

Go to the store to find out the problems of potential partners. Forget about your product. Say that you are going to work in this market, but now you have come to find out what problems the store faces when working with suppliers. Listen to what is said and promise that you will come back when you can offer a solution to these problems.

Closed questions are questions for which we expect to receive only 2 possible answers - either “ YES", or " NO».

Purpose of a closed question:

Errors:

• Ask only closed questions.
• Ask closed questions at the beginning of the sale.
• Ask closed questions that might get an unnecessary “No.”

Ask several closed questions in a row. Interrogation.

How to ask a closed question.

Any declarative sentence can be turned into a closed question by raising it intonation towards the end of the sentence.

Closed questions in sales examples:

• Have we agreed on the first point?
• Can we document this?
• Have you checked out our assortment?
• Do you have a car?

Open questions are questions to which we expect to receive the most detailed and complete answer on the topic asked.

Purpose of an open question:

Errors:

• Ask open-ended questions at the end of the conversation.
  • Ask open-ended questions on abstract topics.

How to ask an open question.

An open question is asked using question words that are placed at the beginning of the sentence.

• When?
• In connection with what?
• etc.

Examples of open questions in sales:

• What options do you choose from?
• What do you think?
• When will you be able to view our offer?
• What characteristics do you think a modern mp3 player should have?

Alternative questions in sales.

Alternative questions are questions to which we expect to receive an answer in the form of the client choosing one of the options, which we indicate in the question itself.

Purpose of the alternative question:

Errors:

• Include in the question as one of the alternatives something that is not beneficial to us.

How to ask an alternative question.

Come up with 2 or more alternatives and ask a question that involves choosing between these alternatives using the conjunction “OR”.

Examples of alternative questions in sales:

• Where would it be more convenient for you to meet me, in the office or at the exhibition?
• Do you still have questions on this point or can we move on to the next part of the agreement?
• Which model will we calculate, A or B?

Subtypes of questions.

Tailed questions.

Sometimes such questions are called questions - assumptions. In essence, this is a closed question, but to which we expect to receive only a “YES” answer. We usually recommend avoiding these questions in sales because they are perceived by many clients as manipulation and at any time the answer to this question can be “NO”, thereby ruining the sale.

How to ask a tailed question.

This is any statement you make that the client must agree with. At the end of the statement there is a special construction - a tail and a question mark.

Special designs:

• Is not it?
• Do you agree?
• Is it true?
• Right? etc.

Examples of tailed questions:

• That's 2 times more, isn't it?
• All people want to ensure a stable income in retirement, don’t you agree?
• This is faster than what you have now, right?
• Nobody wants to overpay, right?

Sometimes you can find a different construction of such a question, where the “tail of the question” is at the very beginning.

Perhaps your children will also use a camera?

In order not to get the answer “NO” to a tailed question, you need to follow one rule. Your statement should not be controversial. It should be a fact that both you and the client know, or something that most of your potential clients can agree on. You can also use soft statements, such as:

• Maybe…
• Maybe…
• Probably…

Errors of tailed questions.

Incorrect: “This is great, isn’t it?”

Correct: “This will help you cut your expenses by half, right?”

83% of online store users require communication with company representatives to make a purchasing decision. Potential buyers have a variety of questions. Sellers have to provide not only standard information about the price, delivery conditions and packaging of goods, but also look for answers to unusual questions: is it possible to grind meat in a coffee grinder, will the kettle break if you cook pasta in it, and will the tree that the buyer is planning to purchase grow? . And whether or not the site visitor clicks the “place an order” button depends on how satisfied the site visitor is with the answer.

All online stores have to deal with customer questions. Sales depend not only on the assortment and pricing policy, but also on the number of methods of communication between the seller and the buyer, as well as on the speed of responses.

When the answer to the question: “Don’t you have the same one, but with mother-of-pearl buttons?” If you have to wait two days, you can be sure that your competitors have already found the robe you need.

More than half of online store visitors do not complete their purchase only because they did not receive a quick answer to their question.

The fastest ways to communicate with a client are chat and telephone (read all about the call back button in ours). According to HubSpot research, 44% of online store users prefer to use the help of online consultants during the shopping process. Managers help you choose a product and resolve technical issues when placing an order.

What questions do buyers ask?

All questions from site visitors can be divided into three main groups:

1. The buyer knows what exactly he wants to buy and clarifies the details.
2. The buyer has a need, but he has not yet decided which purchase will satisfy it. He asks questions that help him make a choice.
3. Logistics and guarantees.

Decided buyer

The choice has already been made: the buyer knows which model of product he wants to buy, what color and in what price range. Usually all this information is indicated on the website, but some will prefer to clarify the parameters of the upcoming purchase in the chat. As a rule, this category of buyers formulates questions clearly and is easy to answer. Buyers are interested in:

Undecided buyers

This category of buyers who are in the process of choosing. They ask questions to which there is no clear answer. And here the task of the online consultant is not just to inform, but also to help make a purchasing decision.

Undecided buyers ask three types of questions.

• Usually the question sounds like this: “ What to gift wife, brother, mother-in-law, boss? As a rule, such buyers have clearly decided on the amount of the future purchase; sometimes they can give a vague direction: “Something from the dishes” or “He likes to play computer games.” Here, the success of sales depends solely on the preparation and skill of the manager - in a dialogue, understand the client’s need and offer him gift options.
• The buyer has not decided on the model or is choosing from different products.“Which is better to buy a steam generator or an iron, a stove or a separate hob and oven?” Here the consultant’s task is to provide maximum information and competently answer all questions so that the client can make a choice.
• Abstract and rhetorical questions. “I need a dress for a corporate event, do you think this model will make me look slimmer?”, “How does this laptop work at your house, doesn’t it break?”, “Will this tile match my manicure?” and many other issues that are impossible to predict. Here the buyer needs outside advice or approval of his own difficult choice. So the manager has to be not only a salesman, but also a psychologist.

Logistics and guarantees

All kinds of questions regarding order processing and delivery. The answers to them are on the website, but buyers want to find out all this again from a living person.

• How can I buy. Someone can’t figure out how to navigate the site and needs step-by-step instructions on what to do, why, and where to click. But some people are just lazy and prefer that you place the order for them.
• Payment options. In addition to standard cash and non-cash payments, people are interested in discounts, installments, payment with bonuses, etc.
• Purchase returns. If suddenly the product needs to be returned, the buyer will prefer to discuss everything with a live person rather than read the official algorithm. In addition, along the way, many related issues may arise that are not taken into account in the document: the packaging was torn, the child drew on the instructions, the box was thrown away, the receipt was lost. Meticulous buyers are also interested in return conditions during the process of choosing a product.
• Delivery. A moment that interests almost everyone. If you have several delivery options, and even with payment, then it is quite natural that the buyer will want to receive detailed advice. Read which delivery option to choose
• Aren't you going to deceive me? Such questions may arise for a store that operates on a prepayment basis. Reviews, photographs and comments will serve as proof of your honesty and integrity.

Do you need answer templates?

If you analyze the chat dialogues, it becomes clear that managers spend most of their time, answering the same standard questions. Templates will help optimize your work - you just need to write the answer once.

You need to click on the icon above the message entry field.

Create a new template.

Existing templates can always be edited or deleted.

You can quickly edit the template without going into the editor. To do this, just click on the pencil on the right.

A quick template appears when a manager types a response and it contains keywords relevant to the template.

According to our estimates templates answers to private questions reduce response time by 10 times! Imagine how much work time and nerves you will save if you don’t write the same thing every time.

Creating a FAQ section

And yet, some buyers write to an online consultant as a last resort. 91% prefer to first seek answers to their questions on their own. A well-organized FAQ section significantly reduces the number of similar questions in chats. If you still don’t have it on your website, then it’s time to write it. You can answer customers' questions before they even have a chance to ask them.

A question always presupposes an answer, and if there is an answer, then there is a dialogue. What is sales if not dialogue? Having mastered the questioning technique, you will learn to conduct effective negotiations, manage the flow of the conversation, and most importantly, you will be able to become a pleasant interlocutor.

5 Benefits of Mastering Questioning Technique

1. The question shifts the focus to the client, making him the main character. Asking the right questions allows you to understand the true needs of the client.
2. A question is a sign of respect for your interlocutor.
3. A question allows you to avoid disputes: by asking a question, you can always find out in advance the opinion of your interlocutor on this or that matter and avoid an awkward situation.
4. The question helps you immediately move from unnecessary conversations to a constructive dialogue that brings you closer to concluding a deal.
5. A question can push the client to make the decision you need.

Questions that open negotiations

To establish contact with the client, use questions that open negotiations. A well-posed question arouses interest and draws the interlocutor into dialogue.

Introductory Questions

Use open-ended introductory questions to obtain information about the client, their business and needs. Open questions differ from closed questions in that they are difficult to answer with a monosyllabic “yes” or “no.” It is these questions that allow your client to open up and speak - first of all, master the technique of these questions.

The key rule of the question technique is to listen to the interlocutor’s answer to the end, otherwise the question asked looks like a simple formality, and the dialogue takes on the form of an interrogation.

Confirmation questions

Confirmatory questions are needed in order to establish mutual understanding with the client. Such questions help to find common ground, and unity of opinions allows for successful progress in negotiations.

I assume that you are of the opinion that...?
I am sure that you are also happy when...?
Surely, it is also important for you that...?

Linking questions

We get acquainted with the technique of these questions back in school during English lessons ( remember: It’s a nice day today, isn’t it?). Linking questions are questions with a tail like “is it true, isn’t it, is it true, is it true, do you agree, etc.” They allow you to constantly maintain contact with your interlocutor. The advantage of the technique of such questions is that they are rarely answered in the negative, and agreement on the part of the client is the key to successful negotiations.

You always want to find the best price/quality ratio, right?
It is important to choose equipment that will be effective for a specific task, isn’t it?

Control questions

Such questions allow you to find out whether the client is listening to you or is busy with his own thoughts. The interlocutor's reaction will tell you whether you can move on or whether you should go back a little.

What do you think about this?
Do you agree with me?
What do you say, it's a worthwhile proposal, isn't it?

Questions for orientation

The technique of these questions is needed in order to find out whether the interlocutor understands what you want to convey to him, whether he adheres to the previously expressed opinion. As experience shows, the client’s attention weakens already on the fifth sentence, so in negotiations you should beware of going into a monologue.

Perhaps you have counter questions?
I understand that we are talking about complex equipment and believe that some points require additional explanation. What characteristics would you like to dwell on in more detail?

Hone your questioning technique and encourage your interlocutor to ask questions. When you receive a question, thank the client for asking the question. By doing this, you give your interlocutor recognition and give him a subtle compliment, which has a beneficial effect on the course of negotiations.

It's good that you asked about this...
This is a very interesting question, it seems that you are well versed...
Such a question reveals that you are a true connoisseur (connoisseur, professional)

Unipolar questions

Unipolar questions first mirror the interlocutor’s question, and then provide an answer. These questions can be used when you need time to think about an answer. For the client, such a question is confirmation that you understood him correctly.

You ask me, what is the main advantage of this device?

Counter questions

Answering a question with a question is not always polite, but sometimes it is strategically necessary. Such questions allow you to lead the client to making a decision, and, if necessary, postpone the conversation about the price.

Counter questions are often used as one of the techniques for processing objections and are asked not in detail, but directly. So, the client’s remark: “It’s expensive!” you can retort: ​​“What are you comparing it to?” But in this case, counter questions should be constructed carefully and concisely, for example:

Client: “And what will the price be?”
Seller: “It all depends on which delivery package you choose. Let's look at the specification again. Which equipment best suits your requirements?”

Counter questions are also called “porcupine questions” or “hedgehog questions”; it is important to remember that such questions are effective in an atmosphere of general openness and goodwill.

Alternative questions

Such questions allow us to provide the client with freedom of choice and provide him with ready-made solutions. At the same time, an alternative question pushes the interlocutor to make a final choice. The main component of the technique of this question is the word “ or“.

Do you need delivery on Monday or Wednesday?

Provocative questions

Such questions contain a challenge and often provoke the client. Provocative questions allow you to find out whether the interlocutor understands the true state of affairs.

Closing Questions

The purpose of the closing questions is to complete the negotiations and outline further stages of cooperation. Ideally, such questions should be asked after confirmatory questions.

I believe that few people need to be convinced of the importance of asking questions when selling. During the training, the greatest attention is devoted to this block. What's so hard about asking questions? There is nothing in the questions themselves. It is important to be able to build their correct sequence. It is important to develop the skill of managing a conversation using questions. It is the questions that lead us to closing the deal. Yes, yes, you heard right, not a presentation, but questions. Remember how many annoying advertisements we hear every day, but these are competent and beautifully made presentations. Don't be walking advertising posters, this is a low, unprofessional level. Our task as salespeople is to use all the rich potential of influence on the buyer.

Techniques for asking questions when selling

For what purposes are questions used:

They give you the information you need, engage the other person in the conversation, identify problems, look for objections, make the other person feel important, demonstrate your interest, and much, much more.

Some sellers are afraid to ask the client, because they are very afraid to hear a refusal or objection. In vain, a voiced objection is much better than an internal one. You can work with what the client said. His thoughts are unfortunately inaccessible to us. Therefore, our goal is to make a person talk and talk as much as possible.

Questions are used for four main purposes: 1 - as active listening, 2 - to identify needs, 3 - to lead the client to consider purchasing, 4 - to clarify objections.

Active listening:

Questions are an important element of active listening techniques. The ability to listen and think about what you hear will help turn the conversation between the client and the seller into a pleasure. The questions can be anything, the main thing is to express sincere interest and ask essentially, without intrusively inviting the person to tell the story. This is how close friends communicate, periodically interspersing the conversation with emotional inserts: “What are you talking about,” “Really,” “This is important!” and so on.

“Listen twice as much as you speak, and you will always be successful” (T. Hopkins).

Identifying needs:

This block is included in every sales training. And now attention, the question: “If you diagnose a client’s lack of need for your product, what will you do?”

The classic response is to give the client the correct information and enjoy watching his back retreat. Okay, let's say we did that. What if we were wrong, and the client’s need could still be satisfied by our product. And honestly, we are unlikely to want to let a person go without trying to offer him something.

My methodology is built on the idea that everyone has the right to freedom of choice. We do identify needs, but only to understand exactly how to make a presentation, what words to use.

Give the client an idea:

It is a well-known fact that if the client himself comes to the realization of the idea, he will not have any objections. Sometimes you can ask questions as if the decision has already been made. For example: “Is it more convenient for you to meet on Wednesday or Thursday?”, instead of: “Are you ready to arrange a meeting?”

Clarification of objections:

Clarifying an objection is necessary primarily to improve mutual understanding with the client. Having extensive sales experience, you certainly know all the objections that a client can name and know the answers.

Show interest and clarify everything the client says. You thereby create a favorable climate; the client understands that his position is respected and that he is listened to.

Finally, by explaining his objection, the client can answer it himself. Not to mention, if the objection is false, asking clarifying questions will tell you right away.

Types of questions:

It is necessary not only to know what to ask, but also to be able to ask correctly. Otherwise, we risk receiving answers that tell us absolutely nothing.

There are several types of questions, the most important are the following:

OPEN QUESTIONS - those that cannot be answered “yes” or “no”, they require explanation. What? Where? When? How? How many? Why? Before asking an open question, we need to get the client talking. Asking an open-ended question at the right time allows you to get a lot of useful information. It is very important to listen carefully so that you can then use in your presentation the same words and expressions that the client used to describe what he wants.

CLOSED QUESTIONS are questions that greatly limit the possibilities of answering. The most likely answer for them is “yes” or “no.” This is true? Can I help you? These questions are good for warming up, but you need to keep in mind that several “no” answers in a row can kill any negotiations. The client needs to be kept in a positive mood. Closed questions are good when you are confident in the answers or you need to clarify a really important detail that does not directly affect the final agreement.

GUIDING – which consist of statements with the addition of “...is that true?”, “... isn’t it?”, “... do you agree?” A leading (confirming) question suggests something. This is a question with a built-in answer that should evoke approval and create a favorable atmosphere. You can use it to get confirmation, but you should always wait for an answer, unlike a rhetorical question. Use leading questions rarely; frequent use of them will irritate your interlocutor. Ask a leading question only if you are sure you will receive a positive answer.

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS – serve both for a deeper consideration of problems and for their “dilute.” Questions do not require a direct answer and serve to give weight to words or to attract additional attention.

CLARIFYING QUESTIONS – involve clarifying previous information. They are constructed as follows: “Did I understand you correctly?”, “Do you mean...?” etc.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS – require a short answer, possibly containing specific data and figures. How much? How often do you use...? Such questions are good before a presentation. They add meaning to your proposal. Always ask specific questions, even if the answers will not affect the essence of your proposal.

ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS – offer a choice of options. “Are you interested in This or That?” The typical word for an alternative question is “or.” It limits the answer options. It is not recommended to offer more than two answer options to avoid creating confusion. Put the option that is beneficial to you last, then it will be remembered better. Alternative questions are very good at the final stages when you need to get the client's consent. They can also be used effectively when the client is taciturn or difficult to communicate, and names common objections.

Sequence of questions.

You should not ask open questions at the very beginning of the conversation. First you need to get the person to talk. Start with Alternative, Follow-up or Closed Questions.

• Is it convenient for you to talk or should I call you back later? (Alternative)
• Do I understand correctly that your company uses...? (clarifying)
• Are you interested in new technologies? (Closed)
• Can you spare me a few minutes so I can make you a good offer? (Closed)

At a certain point, which you will soon enough learn to feel, switch to open questions and listen diligently. There should also not be too many open-ended questions, otherwise they may cause irritation. At the same time, they should be clear and not vague.

Towards the middle of the conversation we introduce leading questions. They will lead us to the desired topic. To prevent the conversation from drifting towards “pro-life”, use alternative questions.

Specific and closed questions will help draw a line under the most lively conversation.

Rhetorical questions can be asked during a presentation to give your words meaning.

Clarifying questions help us a lot when processing objections. Finally, when concluding a deal, Closed Questions and Alternative Questions are used again. “I believe this configuration is most suitable for you?”, “Is it more convenient for you to pay in cash or by bank transfer?”

Preparing questions.

Experienced sellers always have a ready list of questions that allow them to most fully and quickly identify the client’s needs and establish good communication with them. These lists strongly depend on the company’s field of activity and can contain up to several dozen question options.

How to ask questions correctly:

1. Ask positively:

Always avoid sentences with “not…”, “no way”, “never”, “difficult”, “problems” and the like.

2. Turn statements into questions:

Avoid using only affirmative phrases; dialogue is more engaging than monologue.

3. Give your interlocutor time to respond.

After your question, be patient until your interlocutor answers. Don't jump around and answer yourself. If the pause is prolonged, and there is a risk that the client did not understand the meaning of your question, or he does not want to show his ignorance of the problem. Reword the question, explain what you meant. Sometimes, if asking questions seems like curiosity, it can be helpful to briefly justify why you are asking.

If a client asks you an unpleasant question or talks about the price ahead of time.

React with a counter question:

Reject the customer's question:

“I will definitely answer your question, however, let me first clarify some points that may affect my answer.”

Give an evasive answer:

“Discounts are possible from 3 to 10%”

“The price depends on many factors, including the volume of the order”

“Minimum time 3-5 days, depending on production workload”

If you don't know the answer:

Say that you want to provide the most accurate information, which you need to check with the company first.

Say you will respond by email or fax, and be sure to include a time frame for when you will respond and follow through on your promise.