Just One Sales Question, Tends to Result in Frustration

Inspired and adapted from The Wizard of Ads by Roy H Williams, the first of “The Seven Laws of the Advertising Universe”: An energy of words has existed since the day you learned the lyrics to your favorite song, memorized your first quote and asked your first customer, “insert the most important question you use to ask for a sale, here.”

Because if you’ve ever been inspired by mere words (“just” - how one word can devalue your contributions; the previous post) and believe in their power to effect action, when shaped into a question, then read on …

Take for instance, the time it was suggested I modify the next interaction with my children after a broken dish or accidental spill, from, “Did you do that?” to “Hey listen, you and I both know you did that, right? How about we have a conversation about it?” Now, with three kids, it didn’t work every time, but WOW, what great advice for those first several instances. It was the deliberate choice of altering the words previously used, to something slightly different and rehearsed, which increased the opportunity for a better interaction, versus the typical previous responses of “not me” and denial of responsibility.

But there’s an issue with that inspirational “question”, as it relates to sales … unfortunately, when it comes to advice regarding what to say to a customer, training resources often only provide us with one, maybe two questions with which to initiate the selling process and/or conduct a trial-close; yet, most would agree that when it comes to sales, customer tend to have many questions (as many verbalized, as not), before coming to a conclusion. Obviously, parents often have extensive conversations with kids based on questions. And as sales professionals, don’t we often feel like we’re ‘guiding’ the conversation and outcome of our customers, in a similar manner?

Consider the following upsell situations and a possible trial-close, where your customer has already agreed to one purchase, but it’s your job to increase the profit opportunity:

1. A question during a “CSI” call (aka – referral request script): “It’s our goal to ensure complete satisfaction and many thanks for completing the survey with 100%. I’m glad you’re enjoying the car and to that point, is there anyone in your household, immediate family or network of friends, who may be interested in a new vehicle, in the next 90 days?”

2. A question during a vehicle service visit, after an MPi: “During your multi-point inspection, we discovered the flux capacitor fluid is low, which could cause poor performance and excessive wear and tear. Would you like a shuttle or rental vehicle, for transportation, while we perform the safety service on your car?”

3. A question after a customer agrees to the purchase of a new vehicle: “You know, many of my customers who live and work near you, who’ve I’ve helped with sales, looked to protect their investment with items like all-weather floor mats and a molded hood deflector. How would you like to personalize your vehicle?”

4. A question to a customer maturity (“equity”) opportunity: “In order to maintain our status as the premier certified OEM dealer in the market, we’re always looking for well maintained, late model, low mileage vehicles, just like yours. We’re curious, would you consider selling your vehicle to us?”

Given the experience of 10 years of conducting training, at over 360 dealerships and to more than 4300 staff associates, while the reception to most of these questions from General Managers, Fixed Operations Directors, and General Sales Managers has been very positive, I’m suggesting to you now:

Sending your staff out to engage with prospects & customers with these questions is dangerous, unless they have the tools to handle the myriad of questions and objections that follow … and by “tools”, I mean MORE questions that are predictable, with answers that are predictable, for more predictable sales.

To best handle the myriad of responses that come after that first question, takes a commitment, from the top down, that management will provide recurring training with role play and a commitment that your staff will customize and practice their personalized scripts, relevant to the situations in which they engage most frequently (sales staff for vehicle sales, service staff for lane-interactions, managerial staff for their one-on-ones, etc).

If the road to a sale is usually a winding one, with each twist/turn being the point of questions, questions and more questions, shouldn’t your staff have the most questions (with the most common answers) as “tools in their tool belt” to direct the conversation/transaction:

1. Define and document your current road-to-the-sale process

2. Anticipate your customers’ most frequent objections at each major point

3. Develop the interactions (aka questions) you want your customers to experience from your staff

Lastly, develop a grading system based on as many objective suggestions as possible, with consideration to a peer-review critique, conducted quarterly.

While it’s by no means easy to implement and measure everything noted above, perhaps you have to ask yourself … If your staff doesn't have the answer as to why a customer left without buying, it possibly starts with them not having enough questions.

What’s your next move? Best of luck although as we know, luck favors the prepared (aka, those armed with effective questions).