Questions that sell

rltHE ERA of high pressure sales is |- almost extinct. Customers are now educated purchasers and most recognize when they're being coerced or patronized. Strong arm tactics may get you the first sale, but if you plan on repeat transactions, your customer is going to give you a flat "no," and you can forget referrals, too.

After listening to a salesman extol the virtues of his product for 20 minutes, the weary customer makes some excuse like "I'm not ready" or "I'll think it over," while really thinking, "So, what's in it for me?" That chatty seller forgot to identify a very important element of the sale: how does the customer benefit from this product?

,i, , , Sales Quiz

(:l') Why do people buy things? {You may circle more tran one) a. To:keep upuilh lhecmPetition.

,

:

: b- To:irnprove their sell image' c, Keeping up with the Joneses. d. Pdde of ownership.

: : e. To make,their ofpanyOperate mors effrcien0y.

L They sirnpty ne.ed it

Aniwer: All an @ned. Ha$ng biased assunptions abort a buye/s nndration can'causs you io lose sabs. Sometimes people have rnrsml reasons for buying things; ask qreslir:ns to dscover what they are. [Jse a few mhutes of ftiedly conYetsation b gpt to knolv the buyer, then conwil this hformafpn into a sals.

{2} Tcqualifyabuyer hdftntes trat you: (Cirde ordyone ansrver) a-,Flave determined iheh, rpedc b. Have checked to see that heir credt eard is valid. c, thve decriied you re sho'r&p merchandbe t\at doesn't exceed their financial msoLnc€s. d, Have daermined that th€y have he authuity to make he pudtase. e. Hawa product ln pur line tut will meet fteir requirements

: Answer:: All are corect axcept b. Thtough a line ol inquiry det€n*te what heir ne€ds arc atd if you otfer a prcduct that can meet hese ne*. Abo determine whefrer hey are he ooe lo make thi purchase or if someone else needs to be included h $e deci$onrnaking procesc

(3l,Wtrai:reason14 benw'best rcflect why pu should ask pur arlomen qrestions?

::a. Plomotes customerinvdwmgnt h he presenlation.

: e. Qtly ansriets a and b.

,,,b. Mainbins ht€tast in yoursales presentaton.

, a, thlps you detsmdne fte needs of he cus{om€r.

,::: d. Hdps pu:(ualifythe ashmar.

,,,:, Answer: A,il,are conect €xcepl e. The more $e otstomer is inrclved and intercsted in pur presentation, the more fikely he is to buy. Yow product rilJst have mennhg b the qlsbmer. "lt saves you timd nny may nbt mean arrything to a qstomer who is looking for cod. Bd il pu can show him how savirg time brings his cost down, he may be intsrssled.

{4} Wtrictr are usetut tectrni4res for qualifying a buyer? (You may circle mora 0ran one) a Find out what they like aboutfiegodrctorseruica hey an arenty using. b. Ask it a purchase of fris nature is wifrrin their bdget. c;:Ash l{vlro, in additiofl lo ywrseff, will make the final decision?' d;,Ask, tl we are fonunate enough today to fnd fnat this prodrc't u service meeb yourneeds,

,,',:'1',, rvould you bB in a posilim to prcceed?'

, :g;'ACk, ll{hatnflrld it tal€ to getpu to buy what I'm seHng?'

,lnswerl:,Numben a, c:and d rrcuts a[ be corec't ans:rvens. By aslittg opetqded W€sltms sudt as a, you ffnd out more abod tre a!*sns/s prefererces. Atking ila prctnse is wihin lheir budgel can-oilten be perceived as nda, be$id68 wfien a Petsotl uuly YvanB to ptrdtass som€$iq they often lmd atemative fmarrcbl resoutcs-

(5) Wrafs me rnost important prrpose of a mles presentalion or dernonstratiofl? (Cirde or{ me} a" To prepare lhe F06-p€ct to approve tre puruhase and close fre sale.

' b. To', lp train:ttte sa! erson howto present he prcduc,torsewice morc efic,tively' c. Allows you to demdnshate fiB uniqre beneliis of yotr product or sewice. d. Helps invofoe the dient in actually epaiencing he usefukress of lhe pmduct or seruba' e. Toinplant, in th€ii miM that you ara the best source lor the bgteftb they wanl

: , , Answer: A is the be$ answer, but c and d coud also be chosen, daenrftng on your $y'te of selllng;r:The enf iE proe 6s la dircc-{ed lryard doshg fie sale and he qtit*est way b arive fiere b to get the consumer involved in lhe presentation.

Successful salespeople help customers recognize this through fact-finding and open-ended questions, then convert product features into a benefit.

What does the customer want?

"These motivators are the emotional hot buttons that the astute salesperson must press," says Gregory M. LousigNont, Ph.D., creator of the Sales Success Profile sales aptitude test.

"By explaining how the benefits of your product or service satisfy their motivations, you'll close more sales."

Feedback is essential to complete a transaction. To obtain this information you need to ask two types of questions. Fact-finding questions elicit answers such as a simple yes or no, a name, or size. Open-ended questions, which begin with words such as how, what, where and when, elicit opinions. Use these inquiries in normal friendly conversation, without making the consumer feel as if he is being interrogated.

Remember "Ol' Herb," the salesman who could sell refrigerators at the North Pole? By asking the right questions, he illustrated to Mrs. Santa that by keeping elf snacks in the refrigerator, she could spend less time defrosting frozen meat and more time helping

Story at a Glance

Do you know what questions to ask to close sales?

to train the reindeer, providing more quality time with Santa and obedient reindeer. Herb found what she really wanted and showed her how temperature control could solve her problem.

When salespeople ask questions which identify a prospect's needs, they appear truly concerned about making sure the prospect is happy with the investment.

"It's not unusual to find an experienced salesperson who is in a slump because he or she has reduced seltng to a three step process: Close! Close! Close!" says Lousig-Nont. "You can't close until you have established rap port, qualified the prospect by asking questions, and explained how your product will meet or exceed the buyer's needs."

If your sales seem to be lagging, try looking for benefits for your customers then go out and give Herb some competition. After all, Mrs. Santa may also need a drill set!

84 Lumber Closes Alabama Yard Atter Shooting

84 Lumber has closed its Midfield, assault. According to police, the susAl., yard after two employees were pect allegedly said he planned to rob shot during a robbery attempt.

The two workers were shot. one of the store, but panicked.

Two weeks earlier, the same store them four times, Nov. 21 by a man had been robbed of several thousand who had been hanging around the dollars in cash and checks. store, saying he was waiting for a While 84 Lumber would not conride. He left the store just before firm why the store was closed, the closing, returned minutes later, and company admitted the location was a opened fire with a handgun. profitable one, but it was concerned

84 Lumber closed the store the aboutthesafetyofitsemployees. next day and offered a $100,000 The chain is looking for a new 5reward for information leading to the to 10-acre site within a five-mile arrest and conviction of the person radius of Midfield. It hopes to start responsible for the shootings. construction in June and have the vard

Although the reward has not yet with 21,000-sq. ft. main building, been claimed, police have arrested 16- slightly smaller than the shuttered year-old Bobby Brown and charged facility, completed for a fall grand him with two counts of first-degree opening.

Full Program Awaits Lumber Wholesalers

North American Wholesale Lumber Association will tap into the resources of Baylor University to conduct seminars for business owners during its annual meeting May 3-6 at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort,'San Antonio, Tx.

Professor Joe Cox will address "Performance Evaluation and Compensation;" Nancy Upton, "Meet the Challenge of Family Business," and Kendall W. Artz, "Strategic Planning for the New, Competitive Marketplace."

Other speakers: elementary school teacher Karen Richardson on the recent NAWLA Teachers Tour; Brad Johansen, Welco Lumber Corp., and John Kerr, Lignum Ltd., on "The Canadian-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement-One Year Later;" Larry Zarker, National Association of Home Builders Research Center, "The Pressures from Alternative Products," and Russell Taylor, R.E. Taylor & Associates Ltd., "The Global Timber Supply Shortage: Fact or Fiction?"

with the quolity, dependobility ond service you con rely upon for I Aluminum Window Screening

I Fibergloss Potio Screening

I Spline & Supplies