Asking the Tough Questions
Sales reps often have to ask advertisers tough or sensitive questions. Anne provides examples of key questions for sales reps and tells you how to cushion these questions to make the buyer feel at ease.
Sales reps often have to ask advertisers tough or sensitive questions. Anne provides examples of key questions for sales reps and tells you how to cushion these questions to make the buyer feel at ease.
In the movie “Three Men and a Baby” — the story of three bachelors suddenly finding themselves with a baby to care for — there is a scene where two of the men return from an evening out to find their friend, played by Tom Selleck, reading the baby to sleep. When one of them suddenly realizes Selleck is reading the sports page, he exclaims “How can you read the sports page to a baby?!” Calmly, Selleck replies, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it,” then continues to read the rest of the sports page to the baby in the sweetest sing-song tone of voice.
This response applies to selling as well. How you say something is just as important as what it is you are saying. Too often during practice exercises in my Strategic Probing programs, I see reps — at all experience levels — asking key, but sensitive, questions poorly, or worse, not asking these questions at all. Examples of such key, sensitive questions include:
The bottom line: You need the answers to these questions to win business. Without them, you’re competing at a serious information disadvantage. What’s the solution?
“Cushion” Your Question
A “cushion” is a phrase that precedes the tough or sensitive question. The cushion phrase is very conversational and does not make the buyer feel pressured. Rather, it makes the buyer feel important and comfortable about answering the question. It is spoken, not in Selleck’s sweet sing-song tone, but with a tone of genuine curiosity for the buyer’s answer and with respect for that individual. Most important, cushions help reps feel more comfortable asking these questions.
Cushions can be used with open or closed questions. Below are several examples. The cushions are identified in italics. They are then followed by the question.
Special Situations
“We’re seeing a lot of interest in sponsorships (streaming, database marketing, etc.). To what extent do you see interest in that for yourself?” (Who on the account is interested in things like that?)
“I could be out of line here, but let me ask you, Why would you use web sites A, B, and C and miss the….. on our site?” (If the buyer feels you are out of line and says so, the easy reply is a simple “Sorry” or a humorous answer, depending on your personal style. If the buyer does not give an answer, he or she will certainly appreciate your courtesy, which can only help the overall relationship.)
“Jack, it sometimes happens that while an agency can see the value of my web site, we get shot down because of client prejudices, prior past experience, personal dislike of the content, etc. To what extent is that true here?”
Summary: Information Is Power
Complete and critical information starts a positive sales chain reaction. Without it, it’s hard to present the right story, anticipate the right objections, and close the business. If you are not currently at ease getting sensitive information, try cushions. They’re easy to use, they come across as natural conversation so the buyer doesn’t feel like he or she is being interrogated, and they are comfortable for both you and your advertiser.