Knowing how to ask the right questions to sell a product is an art that every salesperson must know, especially during the discovery phase when it can be decisive.
Experienced salespeople know how to ask the right question at the right time to turn the discussion in their favor.
Beyond identifying the prospect's needs, asking the right questions also reveals the prospect's deepest motivations, the obstacles they face, the appropriate solutions, the challenges ahead...
All the answers you gather are invaluable, because in addition to providing information, they'll save you a lot of time! You'll quickly understand if a prospect isn't qualified for your product, or isn't ready to buy.
The discovery plan is a fundamental element in the sales process. Let's discover the key techniques for turning prospects into customers.
A discovery plan is a structured method used by sales professionals to gain an in-depth understanding of a prospect or customer's needs, challenges, motivations and objectives.
This approach involves a series of targeted questions and interactions that enable the sales rep to gather crucial information about the prospect.
The importance of the discovery plan in the sales strategy is considerable, as it:
The discovery plan is an essential tool in every salesperson's toolbox, helping to create a more targeted, consultative and effective sales approach.
A structured discovery plan offers several key benefits in the sales process, contributing significantly to the efficiency and success of sales interactions:
The key to an effective discovery plan is to formulate your questions clearly and effectively. There are several ways to build your sales pitch.
These methods include thorough preparation, a clear understanding of the objectives of the meeting, and an adaptive approach based on the customer's responses:
Here are some methods to help you better understand and analyze your prospects/customers:
The FARP method is used to identify and thoroughly understand the needs and expectations of a prospect or customer, and propose appropriate solutions.
FARP is an acronym for :
The MEDIC method is particularly effective for complex sales, helping to understand the customer's decision criteria and pain points.
MEDIC is an acronym for :
The BEBEDC method is a structured approach used in sales processes, particularly for managing complex sales and interactions with multiple decision-makers.
BEBEDC is an acronym for :
Other methods include ANUM (Authority, Need, Urgency, Money), CHAMP (Challenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization) and SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff).
In addition to asking questions, there are a number of methods that can help you make the case to your prospects:
The choice of method often depends on the sales context, the type of product or service offered, and the specific characteristics of the customer or target market.
Questions play a crucial role in the discovery plan. There are several types of question:
Open-ended questions encourage customers to share detailed information about their needs, goals, priorities... For example:
Closed-ended questions are useful for obtaining specific, concrete answers (an assertion or a negation, a sales volume, a turnover...).For example:
Alternative questions that offer the customer options from which to choose, thus facilitating more precise answers.For example:
To create a personalized discovery plan, follow these steps:
Step 1: Preparation and research on the customer and his sector.
Step 2: Define meeting objectives.
Step 3: Draw up a list of questions based on the types of questions mentioned above. Adapt the questions to the customer's context;
Step 4: Adapt your approach to the customer's responses. Practice active listening to catch nuances and undertones;
Step 5: Synthesize the information gathered to personalize the sales proposal.
To maximize the effectiveness of your discovery plan,active listening is important. Be fully present in the conversation, listen carefully and respond thoughtfully.
Generally speaking, asking questions gives you a more professional image. But playing the transparency card instills trust, and even respect for your interlocutor, who is treated as an equal.
In this way, you don't position yourself as a salesman looking to make a profit, but as a consultant offering your expertise.
The discovery phase is not an interrogation but a meeting. You seek to understand whether your potential collaboration is as advantageous for the prospect as it is for your brand.
Questiology is the art of strategically asking questions to uncover the customer's deepest needs and motivations.
This approach transforms traditional sales into a consultative conversation, where the salesperson acts more like a partner than a mere supplier.
By mastering questiology, we can guide our customers through a process of introspective reflection, revealing needs and opportunities that weren't obvious at first glance.
More concretely, when faced with an objection, there are two types of response:
The initial response that kills your prospect's confidence:
"Your product doesn't have the quality our company is looking for" → "Yet, you have nothing to worry about on this point"
The expert answer that asks a question:
"Your product doesn't have the quality our company is looking for" → "It's true that it depends on your use, how are you going to use it?"
Tip: Experienced salespeople ask a question after saying a sentence that is likely to become an objection.
The real strength of questiology lies in gettingprospects to identify their own weaknesses and consider the relevance of your solution. You involve the prospect in the sales process and encourage him to imagine himself continuing with your proposal, which is extremely positive for the sale.
Asking questions helps you to avoid imposing your solution on the prospect. Inevitably, when you try to sell something insistently, the person you're talking to becomes defensive.
For all these reasons, knowing how to ask your prospects questions is the key to making progress, and the best salespeople even get prospects to ask for their solution, rather than the other way around.
Now let's look at the strategic questions to ask during the discovery phase to speed up your deals.
Experienced salespeople understand the importance of asking the right question at the right time. Beyond identifying needs, asking the right questions reveals the deeper motivations and obstacles facing the prospect. This information is vital, as it saves time and enables you to quickly assess the prospect's suitability for your product.
These categories of questions help build a complete picture of the prospect's needs and objectives, enabling you to tailor your sales approach more effectively.
In the first instance, the important thing is to focus on the prospect's problems. His or her needs are the point that determines the signature at closing.
If your solution doesn't solve one of the main problems, the prospect won't buy your product. On the other hand, if your solution is adapted to the prospect's needs, then you can offer your product as a help and present it as a solution with the right words.
But to do this, a few questions need to be asked:
With these questions, you can judge whether your solution meets the prospect's needs. These qualifying questions will tell you whether you have a good chance of closing the sale, or whether you're wasting your time.
Now that you have all the information, and thanks to your active listening, you have the keys in hand to highlight your solution to the problem.
Asking questions at this point emphasizes the importance and urgency of choosing your solution. The prospect needs to see for himself the consequences of not buying your product sooner!
Today, it's proven that talking about the prospect's problems sells more than talking directly about your product.
The questions will be :
These questions set the stage for the negotiation phase: the prospect realizes the time and money he's wasting without a suitable solution. You've asked them the worst-case scenario that could happen to their business, then how to avoid it, and the final questions allow them to project themselves with you and your product.
You know the ins and outs of your prospect's problems. And, if you've done your homework, he'll realize the urgency of his problem and the benefits of your solution.
Now, don't be afraid to ask the questions that will help YOU with the rest of the sales process.
You can get a lot of information with questions like:
These questions will give you an idea of the sales process within the company and whether you'll need to convince other people before signing. But normally, when prospecting, you try to talk to the final decision-maker so as not to waste time.
If this isn't the case, we strongly recommend that you end the exchange by planning the next step with your prospect.
In the competitive world of sales, knowing how to ask the right questions is crucial to turning a prospect into a customer. The discovery phase is a decisive moment, when the art of the question - or 'questiology' - can make all the difference.
