Even experienced salespeople sometimes make the rookie mistake of asking the customer the wrong questions or asking a desperately low number of them. According to the 80/20 rule, you should only be talking 20% of time, and the remainder the client. By asking appropriate questions, you will achieve much more than by just giving a monologue worshipping your product. Here are serveral tips on how the 80/20 rule can help you, on what questions you should ask and how you should ask them during a meeting.
Beware of overwhelming the prospect with too much information
According to a LinkedIn Pulse article, unfortunately we too often see a situation in which a salesperson comes to a meeting and tries to pour out as much information as possible that is supposed to prove that there's no better product on the market. The salesperson obviously thinks the more is said about the product the better. However, that is a big mistake. Less information is actually better. Don't overwhelm the client with data and numbers and information, it will only make them paralysed and keep them from making a decision as they are not capable of grasping all the information provided.
Don't ask closed questions
You should ask open questions, i.e. not just "yes/no" questions, with the goal of letting the client talk on their own. What the prospect decides to tell you based on an open question will tell you a lot about their priorities, about what they consider essential and what they have on their mind. Then use this information to present the product.
Open new horizons to the prospect by asking suitable questions
When asking questions, use the „Socrates method“. This means that through thought-provoking questions you influence the customer's viewpoint about the situation and you lead them to a solution that corresponds to what you offer. The benefit of this method is that the client arrives to the decision on their own, not through influence or pressure on the part of the salesperson.
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