Avoid “Gotcha” Sales Questions and Keep Your Customers Comfortable

Update May 1, 2015

When you’re attempting to make a sale with your customers, there are certain things you just don’t say, and certain questions that you just don’t ask. For example, any questions that ask put some sort of pressure on the customer have the potential to immediately kill a sale. These are questions like, “If I could help you solve this problem, would you be ready to go ahead with that order today?”

These are questions that are specifically designed to get customers to commit early on to a purchase that they would not otherwise consider. While customers often agree simply out of shock to these requests, their respect level for the seller instantaneously drops. The chances of repeat business are extremely slim.

The thing is, so many of us who have worked in sales have been conditioned into asking these sorts of questions without considering the consequences. So how can we avoid doing so in the future?

Here are a few tips:

Identify when you’re likely to ask such a question. Maybe you tend to ask these questions when you’re nervous that you won’t earn their business if you don’t close quickly. Maybe you ask these sorts of questions
Lifecycle marketing. |
With these unique services, we teach our clients about the Seven Stages of Lifecycle Marketing and how they apply to their businesses. You will learn to ask questions such as: What is your perfect customer? Where in your lifecycle do you gain or lose customers? These questions and others will help you to gain more insight into your business and how you can continue to grow.

when responding to questions that your prospects have. If you know your “trigger” for asking these questions, you’ll be better able to prevent yourself from doing so.
Choose your alternative. Consciously plan out potential ways to go about the conversation rather than asking those “gotcha” sales questions. Be very specific in your plans, and understand that you don’t always have to be looking to close on a sale. Instead, try to get more information from the customer by asking about their priorities, challenges, objectives and more so that you can in turn provide them with helpful information that could eventually lead to a sale.
It might sound stupid, but practicing sales calls out loud with someone else can help you to avoid putting yourself into situations where you’re scaring off a customer by pressuring them with inappropriate questions.

Have you ever had challenges avoiding these types of questions in customer service? How else can you avoid the “always be closing” mentality and instead focus truly on customer service?

by Christine Kelly

CEO and Queen Bee | Viral Solutions LLC

Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.

Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, Infusionsoft Certified Consultant and a Mobit Certified Partner. We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.