Reading Between The Lines - Why no one says what they really mean - Too dangerous...

Whenever someone asks you a question, you can take it to the bank that the question asked wasn’t the real question - it was a ‘safety question’. People ask you ‘safety questions’ because it gives them a sense of control, security, and a feeling they have the upper hand in any negotiation. Bottom line - the truth is elusive.

For most, asking the real question is dangerous. For some people, exposing one’s true feelings can seem like walking around naked.?

In business, some sales prospects, rather than come out and ask the real question, will beat around the bush and ask you a bunch of ‘safety questions’ instead - designed to get you to do most of the talking. And while you’re doing all the talking, your prospect is thinking about the next ‘safety question’ they’ll ask you, and so on.

Can asking questions be the answer?

If you suspect in advance that the questions being asked by your sales prospect are ‘safety questions’, then the question you need to ask yourself is how do you want to respond to your prospects ‘safety questions’? Gently…

Answer questions with questions. The next time you are asked a question, pause… take your time - then follow up with a question that puts the ball in your prospect’s side of the court causing them to rephrase their question in a way that helps you ask follow up questions that help uncover the truth behind your prospect’s original question.?

What’s behind the ‘safety question’? Let’s find out…

Peeling Back the Onion on Cold Calls ?

Prospect: “How many customers use your software?”

Sales: “Thanks for the question. Any particular reason you ask?”

Prospect: “I like to work with established software companies.”

Sales: “OK - I understand. Why is that the case?”

Prospect: “Because our procurement dept. won’t allow us to place purchase orders with small companies.”

Sales: “How many customers do we need to have to qualify?”

Prospect: “I’d say at least 10,000.”

Sales: “We have nowhere near that. I guess I couldn’t save your problem even if I could. Are we done?”

Prospect: “I wouldn’t say that…”

Sales: “Alright then, what would you say?”

The person asking the questions in any conversation will control at least 51% of the course and direction that conversation takes. Notice how our salesperson stays in control of the conversation by interviewing the sales prospect with questions that peel back the onion to expose the FACTS. Better to know upfront whether the 10,000 customer requirement? is a brick wall too high to climb. No sense prolonging the suffering.?

More About “Peeling Back the Onion”?

Fix Your ‘Broken’ Cold Calls ?? www.TheGoldCall.com

Profile★Visitor for LinkedIn ?? www.TheGoldCall.com/ProfileVisitor

The Gold Call Show on YouTube ?? https://bit.ly/TheGoldCallShow