Questions that sell , Sales Quiz

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?

Check yfur selling skiils against sanple questions fron the Sates Suaess Protite:

(1) Wny Oo people buy things? (You may circle more than one) a. To keep up with the competition. b. To improve their self image. c. Keeping up with the Joneses. d. Pride of ownership. e. To make their company operate more efliciently.

L They simply need it.

Answer: All are correct. Having biased assunptions about a buye/s motivation can cause you to lose sales. Sometimes people have unusual reasons for buying lhings; ask queslions to discover wlnt they are. Use a few minutes of friendly conversation to gbt t0 know the buyer, then converl this inlormation inlo a sale.

(2) To qualify a buyer indicates that you: (Circle only one answer) a. Have determined theh needs. b. Have checked to see that their credit card is valid. c. Have decided you're showing merchandise that doesn't exceed lheir financial resources. d. Have delermined that they have the authority lo make the purchase. e. Have a product in your line lhat will meet their rEuirements, . Answer: All are correct excepl b. Through a line of inquiry determine wtat their needs are and if you oller a producl lhat can meet these needsr Also determine whether they are the one lo:make the purchase or il someone else needs lo be included in the decision-making p'rocess. a. Promoles cuslomer involvement in the presentation. b, Maintains interest in yoursales presenlation. c, Helps you determine the needs of lhe cuslomer. d. Helps you qualify the ashmer. e. Only answers a and b.

(3) Wtrat reason(s) below besr reflect why you should ask your customers questions?

Answer: All are conect e)rcept e. The more the anstomer is involved and interested in your presentation, lhe more likely he is to buy. Your producl must have meaning to the customer: "lt saves you time" may may nol mean anything lo a cuslomer who iC looking for cost. But il pu can show him how saving time brings his cost down, he may be interested.

(4) Wnicn are uselul techniques lor qualitying a buyer? (You may circle more than one) a, Find oul what they like about the product or seMce lhey are cunently using. b, Ask if a purchase of this nature is within their budget, c, Ash 'Who, in addition to yourself, will make the final decision?" d. Ask, '11 we are fortunale enough today to find lhat this product or service meets your needs, would you be in a position to proceed?' e. Ask, 'What would il take to gel you to buy what I'm selling?"

Answer: Numbers a, c and d would a[ be conecl answers. By asking open-ended questions sudt as a, you find out more about the custome/s preferences. Asking if ipurchase is wilhin their ludge! can often be perceived as rude, besides when a person truty wanb to purchase something they offen find altemative financial resources.

(5) Wnatt ne most importanl purpose of a sales presentation ordemonstralion? (Circle onty on.; ra.Toprepare,theprospdbapprovethepurchaseandcfgse,the,sale. , ::, :,,', ,"" b. To help train the saleryerson how to present the product or sewice more eflectively. c, Allows you to demonstrate the unique benefits of your producl or service d. Helps involve the client in aclually experiencing the usefulness of the product or servbe. e. To implant in their mind that you are the best source for the benefits lhey want.

Answer: A is the best answer, but c and d could also be chosen, depending on your style ot iefling The,entira process is::directedtoward:cloiing ttre sab and the quick'istwa! io a?rive th'ere is to get the consumer involved in the 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 selling to a three step process: Close! Close! Close!" says Lousig-Nont. "You can't close until you have established rapport, qualified the prospect by asking questions, and explained how your product will meet or exceed the buyer's needs."

Ifyour 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!

...and that's just for starters: o auto-stak made it easy. They did the complete layout and design work oWe used less than half the space of cantilever systems. eWe can pick from all 5 levels without using our fork truck o No more scrap...everything is covered and protected o Cantilever rack would have eliminated our drive-thru and most of our customer parking o Our customers and employees are safer

Retaihrs

Burton Lumber, Salt Lake City, Ut- sold its Durango, Co., yard to A.C. Houston Lamber Co.; Bill Bader, mgr.

Snr$e r lamber Co.,Aberdeen, Wa., has remodeled, expanding its sales space, and is now open Sundays...

Home Depot agreed to pay $U5.4 million in sock for direct mail marketer Maintenance Warehouse America Corp., San Diego, Ca.; is eyeing the site of a shuttered Sam's Club n Woodland Hills, Ca., and has come under fire for erecting displays outside its Tlrstin, Ca., store which cover the entire sidewalk and force pedestrians to walk in auto traffic 1..

Home Depotwill open its first stole outside North America earlv next year in Santiago, Chile-; developed jointly with Falnbella, the country's largest department store retailet the unit is ttre first of qhlge Depgt expects to build in Chileby2m0.,.

Rosenberg Builders Supply, Tillamook, Or., was named Ace Hardware's 1996 Most Improved Dealer in the Pacific Northwest

Iantbermen b Building Centers, Olympia, Wa., has hired INS Advenising, Portland, Or., to buy its electronic advertising in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona... ;

BMC West Corp., which grew to 53 locations last year, has hinted at further acquisitions in the spring

Woodwor'kers htmberCo. owners Don and Margaret Fitzgerald, denied a rezoning application to dd 23 homes on their Los Gatos,

Ca., property, have. submitted plans instead io build a 145*oom hotel...

Davis Lumber & Hardwa.re, Devis, Ca., called police to arest the former city manager for allegedly shoplifting a food processor...

Wholesalers & hlanufacturers

Califurnia Hardware Co., City of Industry, Ca, has been 4cquircd by Amarillo Hardware Co., Amarillo, Tx.

Vc'vvood NW Inc., Federal Way, Yu., h?r_.hanged its name to VicwoodTlmber Inc. ...

Weyerhaeuser has sold the 17& acre former site of Mill B in northeast Evesett, !1h., for $11.5 million to the Port of Everett" which will redevelop it into an industrial business part...

Trinity Forest Industries, Inc., Hurst, Tx., ha.s added a Southwest sales office in Albuquerque, N.M.; James Mares, mktg. head ...

Sound Forest Products has relocated its sales office to its Post Falls, Id., facility loui s iana- Pac ific has acquired insulation manufacturer GreenStone Industries Inc. for $35.7 million...

Georg ia-Pacific wifl,lay off 1 50 more employees, bringing total layoffs in the last 10 months to 445, as part of the 47,ffi0-employee corporation's plan to Cut $4ffi million...

Universal Forest Produc* has formalized its existing operating structure by creating several regional subsidiary corporations and partnership entitites, all to opcmte u*r the {,fui\,€fsal Frcst Pro&lc*s na$p

Ilardware Wlwlesalers fre has revised its Do-it Best paint.program" switching.from paps m"fsil labels, introducing new color cards and color card racks, and lowering minimum opening of&{s so Crnaller retailers can join ...

Jewett-Camcrotn Trading Co. f,td., Vancouver, Wa., conrpleted purchase of $13 rnillion of lts 7Vo convertible debe,r*ures fon S% of the face value of thi dCbentures plus accrued inierest ... ,'' ..'ff1*r,raibogrd, €.g, ,p,, ,ha!' prlrJ chased fte Ftorida-based assets of Gentek Building Prcdacts inc. for $9.7 million plus the assurnption of $1.7 million in payables...

American Woo d- P rese rve r s' Association has moved to new offices in Granbury Tx

Earnings: Georgia-Pacific, bogged by $114 million losses for the building prod-ucts distribution ' ,dlvision, carned,$?,,piflion ia 4th quarter 1996, dorlrrr from 4th quarter 1995's record $197 million; 1996 income of $156 million trailed 1995's $1.02 billion

:,Lo,uis.ianq-Pacifc Jost $14.? rnil-. lion in the 4th quarter and $201 million for 1996, due to a $350 million 3rd quarter charge

Weyerhaeus e r's 4th quart€r profits

, feTl ,61% to $98'mi'llion,,..;., International Paper lost $5 million in 4th quarter 1996, after making $263 mitlion in 4th quarter 195; annual earnings dropped 744o from $1.15 billion to $303 ' *rillion ... Ssfse Casq*d* made $2.1 rnillion in 4th quarter 1996, doryn from $70.4 million a year earlier, and $9.2 million for the year, down from $351.9 million in

:199,$

Houstntg sttarts in Dec. (latest figs.) plunged 12.2,% to a seasonally adiusted annual rate of 1.33 miilioi, the lowest ievel in 18 months still, the 1996 tal$ was the highest level in eight years single-family starts dropped tL.$Vo, rru{ti-farnily fell 13.67o starts plummeted 29.2Vo in the rain-soaked West.

Yard Caters To Ferrets

Crissey Fowler Lumber Co', Colorado Springs, Co., has become the ferret tunnel retail center of the world thanks to the Internet.

Last February, a woman came to the store searching for a clear, tubelike material. The plumbing manager, not knowing why she needed it, suggested dryer vent tubing. The woman used the tubing as a tunnel for her pet ferret to play in, then she posted her discovery on an Internet Web site for ferret owners, along with CrisseY Fowler's telephone number and address. Within a week, the store received five orders for the tubing'

Since then, CrisseY Fowler has shipped more than 200 ferret tunnel orders all over the U.S. and Canada, as well as to Germany, England, JaPan and the Philippines. The store now uses co-op Hardware Wholesaler, Inc.'s direct-to-customer shipping program, forwarding orders to HWI, which ships the ferret tunnels directly to the customer from the nearest retail service center.

"It's a crazy story, but this convinces me that the Internet is the retail wave of the future," says Crissey Fowler merchandise mgr. Rod Summitt.

Anawalt, President/CEO Anawalt Lumber

their staff to be very prof essional, very helpf ul.

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