Even experienced salespeople sometimes make the rookie mistake during meetings with prospects of asking wrong questions or asking a desperately low number of them. According to the 80/20 rule, you should be talking only 20% of time and the rest it should be the client talking. By asking appropriate questions, you will achieve much more than by just having 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 during a meeting with prospects.
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 are supposed to prove that there is not match to the given product, and the salesperson thinks the more is said about the product the better. But that is a big mistake. The less information the better. Do not 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.
Do not ask closed questions
Questions you ask should be open ones, i.e. not just questions with the answer „yes/no“, but with the ambition to have 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 provoking questions you influence the viewpoint of the customer about the given situation and you lead them to their own solution to the situation that corresponds to what you offer. The benefit of this method is that the client arrives to the decision by his or her own thinking, not by appealing or pressure on the part of the salesperson.
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