An open question is one way to obtain information. Man asking open questions, usually begins them with the words: “who...”, “what...”, “how...”, “why...”, “how much...”, “in connection with what...” ", "what is your opinion..."

Open questions are one of the the best ways get to know a stranger better, establish friendships. Experienced negotiators use open-ended questions to get shy or nervous people to talk. Teachers often use open-ended questions when working with children or foreign students.

Purpose of an open question

Listening to the answer to his question, an experienced counterpart deliberately puts himself in a certain emotional state, allowing potential client feel like the main person involved in the meeting. As practice shows, an inexperienced person, finding himself in such conditions, loses his head and can tell his interlocutor even something he had not planned.

If the expected effect is not achieved, the person asking the questions makes the next attempt to get the client talking - doing everything in his power to turn the failed monologue into the beginning of a dialogue.

Why do people ask open-ended questions?

Open questions are a quick way to get Additional information and learn about the true motives driving the interlocutor. The ability to ask the right open questions is a kind of skill that can only be mastered if theoretical knowledge is confirmed by many years of practice.

During the first meeting, the seller tries to outline the circle of interests of the interlocutor and create conditions for satisfying his problems. An experienced negotiator achieves this by asking questions such as: “Do you think you could benefit from...?”, “What are you interested in at the moment?”, and also invites the client to consider his options for answers, formulating them in the form of questions, for example : “Why don’t you...?”, “What if you try to do this...?”

To understand how a potential buyer perceived the seller’s intention to help him make his choice, they ask questions: “How do you feel about this?” or “What do you think?”, and if the client doubts, the reasons for the doubts are clarified with the help of questions: “What worries you?”, “What do you doubt?” or “What could be a hindrance?”

Examples of open questions

“What caused this situation?”

“Why do you think your choice is correct?”

Perhaps someone will be surprised by the following In sales, questions like: “What problems can you solve by purchasing this product?” Salespeople working in the store usually don’t ask. But they are actively used by direct sales workers who are interested in long-term cooperation and strive to find a reason to win the trust of a potential client.

Here are examples of open-ended questions that distributors typically ask:

“Do you think this purchase has brought you maximum benefit?”

“When did you first hear about this opportunity?”

“What benefits have you noticed?”

Another example of an open-ended question in sales, a question like: “What result do you expect?” opens up the opportunity for the seller to demonstrate the entire range of goods that meet the client’s expectations, and allows the buyer to make the best choice.

Before going to a meeting with a client, the salesperson carefully considers what questions he will ask and in what order.

How to start a dialogue

This topic worries almost every beginner who has decided to devote himself to the field of sales: “how to ask a question to a person who does not intend to listen to me?”

A knowledgeable negotiator uses open-ended questions to better understand the client's needs. When asking his questions, he tries:

• so that the wording is extremely clear. The shorter the question, the greater the likelihood of receiving a detailed answer;

• so that the dialogue does not turn into an interrogation. Questions asked in a relaxed manner have a better chance of being heard.

Of course, the seller must know how to ask the right questions. There are cases when a theoretically savvy beginning salesman, even knowing it exactly, did not achieve success. This is because many beginners have never heard that any phrase at the end of which the speaker's voice weakens sounds like a statement of fact. When the speaker pronounces the last words of a phrase, raising his voice, the entire phrase sounds like a question.

Fully concentrating on the interlocutor, the seller, listening to his answers, can, in principle, remain silent, showing his interest only with an approving smile, a nod of the head, or using the so-called “body language”.

Having heard an unsatisfactory answer, which does not give the opportunity to form an impression about the client, an experienced salesperson does not panic, but continues to show interest through facial expressions, postures and gestures, thus encouraging new attempts by the client to give a detailed answer. During the conversation, the sales representative observes the body movements of the interlocutor. For what? More on this a little later. And now - about the rules of active listening.

An active listener does not interrupt the client, but sometimes utters phrases like: “Yes, indeed!”, “That’s interesting!”, and also clarifies anything that he does not understand using open-ended questions.

As one of the methods, most sellers use the following technique: they repeat the words spoken by the client and pause, during which they think about their further actions, and at the same time let the client know that his opinion is of interest to the interlocutor. There are cases when a novice seller offended a client by not paying due attention to his words.

Sign language

If the listener crossed his arms over his chest, he took a defensive position. This posture should be interpreted as a signal: “Let’s change the subject.”

If the interlocutor leans slightly towards the speaker, he is very interested in the conversation.

If a potential buyer scratches his beard (chin), twirls an object in his hands or wipes his glasses, he makes a decision.

If the client sits upright, he is open to communication and completely trusts the seller.

If a person slouches, he is full of humility and wants to please his interlocutor.

If a client absentmindedly taps the toe of his shoe on the floor or the leg of a chair, automatically draws something or clicks with a ballpoint pen, he is bored.

If the listener's body is turned towards the front door, he is waiting for the right moment to say goodbye and leave.

If a person covers his mouth with his hands or looks past the speaker, he does not intend to discuss any topic.

How not to have a conversation

Many salespeople believe that during a meeting they should spend as much time as possible describing the benefits of the products they are offering. But the description of the product does not guarantee the conclusion of the transaction.

Another common mistake new salespeople make is that by trying to answer all the customer's questions, they allow the customer to control the outcome of the transaction.

Wrong open questions

“Do you want to save your money?” - bad example open question. Correct wording plays a very important role in sales. If the question is asked incorrectly, he will lose control of the situation and lose the client.

Making sales means controlling the development of events. The manager or the person asking the questions determines the direction of events, and his interlocutor is, to some extent, a passenger who is traveling in the direction chosen by the manager.

“What do you think would make your life better?” is another bad example of an open-ended question. Sales questions different types help achieve different results and a sales representative who allows a potential buyer to talk about abstract topics is wasting time.

Proper negotiations

Experienced preparation for negotiations sales representatives they start by setting goals, that is, they decide what information about a potential buyer he needs and how he can get it.

The beginning of negotiations is, in essence, the collection of information, having received which, the seller can proceed to the presentation. Inexperienced sales representatives make the same mistake - instead of asking a potential client about his needs, they allow him to ask questions himself.

The seller cannot start asking questions without finding out what position the potential buyer occupies, since the needs of an ordinary employee and a manager are significantly different from each other.

How to identify and analyze the client's basic needs? Identifying customer needs, studying and assessing them is one of the five stages of sales. It is considered one of the most important if you are aimed at successful and efficient sales.

What is it for

Business trainers often give illustrative examples, teach how to sell by analyzing the client’s needs, but do not always explain why this is necessary to learn. It seems quite simple to understand. If a person wants to buy a TV, it means that his need is this very TV. But in reality this is not the case. The purpose for purchasing this product is deeper than it seems.

One wants to watch series and television programs comfortably. Another needs a home theater to watch movies in high quality. And the third turns on the TV in the morning, getting ready for work. Each of them needs different TVs. This is where the seller must do a quick study of the person’s needs to determine which product is right for him.

It is also worth considering that each client is individual. Someone is ready to pay a round sum for quality goods, the other will prefer the most budget option. Some choose a product based on the prestige of the brand, while others are not interested in this issue.

Needs

Before considering technology for identifying needs, it is necessary to understand what a need is. According to the generally accepted interpretation, this is an internal state of psychological or functional feeling of insufficiency of something, which manifests itself depending on situational factors.

Since a need is just a sensation, it is quite fickle and subject to change. A simple example is the need for food. Walking down the street, we may not even think about the fact that we are hungry. But as soon as we smell a pleasant smell from a neighboring cafe or see passers-by chewing a sandwich with appetite, we begin to feel hungry against our will. A professional “sales person” knows how to create a similar need for the goods and services with which he works. This is what sales technique is all about.

A professional “sales person” knows how to create a need for the goods and services with which he works.

What are the needs?

First of all, it’s worth remembering Maslow’s classic pyramid of needs. It may seem that it has nothing to do with sales, but today it is a common practice when, as a method of attracting customers, Catering actively use food aromas.

Everyone knows that food smells can make you hungry and want to grab a bite to eat. This is further proof that salespeople can successfully influence people's needs. But still, for sales, it is better to arrange the main needs not in the form of a pyramid, but in a list. So, the main needs of the client can be identified:

• Safety.
• Comfort.
• Prestige.
• Reliability.
• Novelty.

Most people are interested in this in almost any product. Therefore, all advertising is in the media mass media aimed at stimulating these needs. A smart salesperson must figure out which items from this list will be most likely to attract his buyer funnel, and, therefore, use the information obtained when making a sale.

How to identify needs

And now we come to the most important thing. At first glance it may seem quite simple. But it should be taken into account that all people are different: some people open up easily and tell the necessary information themselves, while others, on the contrary, have to be purposefully extorted from them. Different methods must be applied to everyone. But to unify this process there are. And they have a special classification. The following types of questions can be distinguished:

1. Open. A detailed answer is expected to them. Example: “Which pork suppliers does your restaurant work with?”
2. Closed. They are usually answered “yes” or “no”. Example: “Do you want to increase your sales?”
3. Alternative. When the person asking the question offers several possible answers. Example: “Are you interested in a wide range of products, or are you planning to focus on working with one brand?”

Of course, some buyers can give a detailed answer from all necessary information and a closed question, but you shouldn’t hope for it. Therefore, the seller should ask as many open-ended questions as possible to obtain the maximum amount of information. To offer a product that is suitable for the buyer, you need to understand what exactly it is and why it is needed. Below is a list of questions that can help you with this:

• For what purposes do you plan to use this product?
• What have you used for this purpose before?
• What would you like to see?
• Describe what you would like.

There are dozens of similar questions, you can use any you like. It is important that these stages of need development be maintained.

The client must speak out

This is also a very important rule. Think about when you feel more comfortable talking to a person. It's right when he listens to you carefully. As a psychologist, for example. The seller is also a kind of psychologist. He, too, must allow his buyer to express his thoughts, which will make it possible to understand the needs. This is called active listening technique. It allows you to build trust, understanding and win over the client. And then he will be happy to listen to you.

Common mistakes

So, we’ve sorted everything out, all that remains is to consider common mistakes. They are:

1. A large number of closed questions. They only make the buyer feel like he's being interrogated.
2. Not all needs identified. To more accurately select a product that suits a specific client, it is necessary to identify all the needs. For an experienced seller, it will not be difficult to formulate them using 5-7 open questions and then a couple more clarifying ones.
3. Insert a product presentation into identifying needs. This mistake is common among sellers with little experience.
4. Interrupt the client. This is disrespect for the client and is strictly prohibited.
5. Allow the client to steer the conversation in a different direction. This needs to be stopped correctly. Remember: time is money.

Constant sales exercise is the key to success.

Eventually

This, like many other sales tools, originates in the service of Western restaurants. The waiter here must say the entire order in order to avoid mistakes and so that the visitor analyzes everything again and does not forget anything.

Ultimately, all these methods are successfully used in sales. Having finished clarifying your needs, you can proceed directly to the presentation of the product.

Identifying customer needs is a very important step on the way not only to successful sale, but also to the formation of loyalty. The path to the sale of a product or service certainly runs through a very careful clarification and research of the client’s needs. It is important to remember that the basis for selling is not the product itself or even its characteristics, but the benefit that the buyer receives from purchasing it.

Regardless of the type of service or product needed by the consumer, the basic needs most often come down to the following:
- safety
— comfort
- novelty
- prestige
— reliability

Example of identifying a customer need

It is necessary to understand that the motivation for purchasing a product lies deep in the customer’s mind. It is an internal need, dissatisfaction and is caused by a lack of some aspect in his life. Moreover, on top of this is the consumer’s personality, his financial condition and even his mood at the moment. Having taken into account all these conditions, found the right approach to them and, thus, determined the desires and capabilities of the buyer, the seller can easily demonstrate the product that is optimal for him and ensure a problem-free purchase.

In order to establish contact with a client and correctly identify his needs, it is necessary, first of all, to have the ability to listen carefully to the client and ask the right questions. A competent approach to these points and their correct use guarantees success. It would seem that nothing could be simpler, but listening and questioning are only effective when they are carefully crafted and meaningful.

Example:
Client: I need a car, but I have no idea about the modern car market. What could you offer me?
The seller must immediately outline the general direction of the client’s thoughts.
Seller: What priority characteristic should your future car have?
Client: It must be reliable.

So, for a particular buyer, the main characteristic is reliability, and this immediately allows you to outline a range of suitable cars and those that do not meet this requirement. It is worth noting that in the case of the answer “first of all, I am interested in low price", the product search vector would be completely different.

Questions to identify client needs

Questions for competent recognition of client needs are divided into open, closed or alternative.

Open questions require a detailed answer from the buyer; they encourage conversation. They begin with the question words “what”, “how”, “why” and cannot be limited to the answer “yes” or “no”. They can also begin with the seller’s request “tell me about/describe to me...” or “what do you think...”. Thus, the potential buyer not only provides the seller with information, but also feels his interest in the buyer’s opinion, preferences, etc., which also has a positive effect on cooperation.

Closed questions do not involve conversation and a sufficient answer to them is “yes” or “no”. Closed questions are a good way to start and end a conversation, but using too many of them can have a negative impact on the flow of the conversation by making the buyer feel uncomfortably interrogated. Examples of closed questions are: “Can you...?”; "Would you like…?". Undoubtedly, some can give a detailed answer to a closed question, but this is rather the exception.
Alternative questions require an answer option provided in advance by the questioner. Unlike a closed question, an alternative question increases the chance of further contact with the buyer.

Example:
Seller (closed question): Can I call you back at the same time tomorrow?
Client: No.
Salesman ( alternative question): I can call you back tomorrow. Would you be more comfortable in the morning or evening?
To identify the consumer’s needs, it is enough for an experienced seller to ask 5-7 open questions and several clarifying ones.

Technique for identifying customer needs

The technique of identifying customer needs also plays an important role. For a sensitive and experienced salesperson, choosing a specific technique and approach to a specific person will not be difficult. For example, an effective technique is a conversation in which the seller uses the so-called “method of linking to circumstances.” First, a statement is made, and later a clarifying question, for example: “Isn’t it?”; "It is so?"; "Right?". The goal of this method is to set a person up for as many positive answers as possible and thus bring him to the decisive question, to which a positive answer is necessary for a successful transaction.

Example:
Seller: This is exactly what you were looking for, right?
Client: Yes.
Seller: And the price category is suitable, isn’t it?
Client: Yes.
Seller: So, as I understand it, you are taking this product, correct?
Client: I'll take it.

So, now you are aware of the basic techniques and ways to identify client needs, which is necessary for your successful cooperation with him.

Identifying your customers' needs is an extremely important step in developing your sales strategy. The ability to correctly identify all the needs of your potential clientele allows you to find those who have decided to use your service or purchase a product from you.

This article will cover:

• How to determine the needs of each individual buyer and implement sales technology taking into account each of these identified factors.
• How to ask the right questions to uncover a specific client's needs or expectations
• How to develop your own listening skills in a practical way.

To do this, the following questions will be studied:

• What are the needs of the buyer who came to the retail outlet, and what exactly is the purpose of his visit.
• Types of questions asked.
• How will the information be consolidated later?
• Basic ideas on this matter.
• What actions need to be taken.

What are the priorities and needs of each buyer or sales manager?

In fact, despite the fact that this question may seem quite simple, not everyone can answer it or answer it incorrectly.

Consumer priorities:

• What are my needs?
• What will I get in the end?
• What kind of goods can they offer me or what services do they provide me here?
• Why should I buy here?

Seller's priorities

• The consumer and maximum satisfaction of all his needs.
• Advantages of our point of sale and the significance of such benefits to the buyer.
• Ideas,

How is detection carried out?

For each specific buyer, the seller must necessarily find those that meet all his needs, as well as all of his In this case, what has already been identified with the buyer will play its role, after which he will recognize the need to use all the listed advantages for himself, and will make the final decision much faster. A seller who continually identifies buyer needs has some opportunity for expansion. own business, as well as finding all sorts of additional areas where its services or products can also be used.

Based on all the information received, a person can understand for himself as much as possible what exactly his proposals will be able to arouse a certain interest among people, because he already knows the basic methods for determining the need for working capital and methods for their rational use. Often at this stage there may be some impression that the assortment is missing a certain service or product that could increase sales, and the novice seller may even end the conversation with the buyer. Just showing all the possibilities of your situation is not enough now; you need to present absolutely all the factors that can indicate the buyer’s need for your services or products.