40 great business to business sales questions

www.richardlucas.com

40 Questions for Business to Business (B2B) sales“I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.”

Rudyard Kipling

Richard Lucas February 2015


Introduction

• I’ve been in business for more than 30 years

• Good questions are vital to sales

• Sales are essential to business

• I decided to share

Richard Lucas

my business experience is almost all business selling to business (B2B). I would love feedback from people who sell to consumers. Maybe these questions work for consumers too?


Good questions are vital for sales

The stereotypical salesperson talks too much Good questions

• help us understand a client’s situation, objectives, priorities and challenges

• forces us to listen and show respect• Give us time to think and prepare the right

responses


What are “Good questions””

Open Questions that - cannot be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’ - gather information so we can assess if

we can help them .- draw attention to the issues/problems

of our client, that we can help with


Qualification and elimination questions

• Encourage clients to say “no”• make sure we are talking to people who want to

do business with us • Stop us from wasting time when our potential

clients do not appreciate what we can do for them• Enable us to work with people and organisations

that value what we do


Famous advocates of questions

• Tony Robbins Why we do what we do TED talk “I'm the "why" guy.””

• TPS Root cause analysis. The 5 Whys• Rudyard Kipling - The Elephant’s Child.• Simon Sinek “Start with Why”

So… “forty great questions for business to business” sales

http://www.ted.com/talks/tony_robbins_asks_why_we_do_what_we_do/transcript?language=en

https://hbr.org/2010/04/the-five-whys-for-startups/

https://hbr.org/2010/04/the-five-whys-for-startups/

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2781/2781-h/2781-h.htm%23link2H_4_0005

https://www.startwithwhy.com/

Richard Lucas

Toyota Production System


What

1 what are you doing now2 what do you want to do in the future3 what is wrong with the way things are now4 what is that person’s name5 What would the value be if we can solve this problem for you ?

Richard Lucas

it is not acceptable to have someone in the room whose identity is unknown. (who knows where they are from.?) stop, walk up and introduce yourself). Start the meeting with introductions.


Who6 who is responsible for the topics we are interested in7 who else will be involved in a decision8 who is the Technical Director9 Who was that extra person in the meeting. 10 Who will be working these machines after we install our system11 who is in charge ?12 Who else should I be talking to in your organisation


Why

13 do they want to talk/call/agree to see to us ?14 do they think we will solve their problems15 why do they want whatever it is we are selling


Where 16 will our system be being used17 Where are the

- computers we are meant to interface with.- keys - passwords !! (North Korea take note)- are the people who will let us in at night

18 where are the people who normally work here ?


When

19 do you want a system implemented by20 did you start thinking about this type of solution21 do you expect to take a decision 22 will this system need to be function23 when do you need a quotation by


How

24 big is your budget25 often does this problem occur26 are decisions about new investments made27 is the fixed asset register controlled28 long it takes to make a shipment29 much does the current process cost you30 much time do we have


Qualification

• We don’t want to waste our and the prospect’s time.

• It is important to assess the level of interest chance of a sales.

• Do they have a budget, and how much is it?


End of meeting “Is” questions(The end of a meeting can be a good time to fire in a question when the client is relaxed and their guard is down)31 there anything else we should have talked about32 there anything else you want to ask us33 there anything that is not clear34 there anything other than price that you do not like about our offer35 the status quo acceptable36 On the phone calling back prospects where we lost “ is our competitors installation/implementation going well?”37 everything OK ?


If

‘If’ questions are for pre-closing, assessing our chances39 If we make a proposal which solves the problems you have described, am I correct in understanding that you will place an order? (‘no’ or ‘maybe; is useful information, stops us wasting time on our proposal.40 If you order now, we will be able to install in next week, when shall we come

Richard Lucas

ABC Always be closing - not a great fan of Glenn Gary Glen Ross style closing. See my TED ED video here http://ed.ted.com/on/gziOcoTs


Remember

• Don’t ask questions and fail to listen to the answer

• to repeat back what you think the client has said for confirmation.

• To ask for the order


Summary• We are doing potential clients a favour. We offer

improvements on the status quo. We are better than just anyone

• Do your homework, know your product, know the client organisation, see the world from the client’s point of view

• Ask for help, be creative. “I’m going to be in xxx next Wednesday, could I drop in ?”

• Know you are competing against• Remember the taxi meter - doing nothing also costs


More info

• Richard Lucas blogs at www.richardlucas.com, is on Linkedin , runs the TED and TEDx Fans in Poland, the Wojtek the Soldier Bear group, and the TED and TEDx Fans Tavel and meetup club on Facebook, hosts Open Coffee Kraków and co-founded Wintrepreneurs and is on Soundcloud and will soon be podcasting.I played with TED-ED here

http://www.richardlucas.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TEDxFansPoland/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wojtekthesoldierbear

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TEDSurfing/

http://www.ockrk.co/faq

https://www.facebook.com/groups/677642928969580/

https://soundcloud.com/richard-lucas-6

http://ed.ted.com/on/gziOcoTs


40 Questions for Business to Business (B2B) sales“I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.”

Rudyard Kipling

Richard Lucas February 2015

40 great business to business sales questions

Business

Transcript of 40 great business to business sales questions