Describe the four-part consultative questioning strategy.
• Four types of questions: situation questions, probing questions, confirmation questions, and need-satisfaction questions
• Survey: discovers basic facts about the buyer's problem and existing situation; usually at the beginning of a sale
• Probing: designed to uncover pain, and clarify the circumstances and implications surrounding customer's problem; used when you feel the need to obtain more specific information to fully understand the problem
• Confirmation: used throughout the sales process to verify accuracy and assure a mutual understanding of info exchanged by salesperson and buyer; used after important info has been exchanged
• Need-satisfaction: designed to move the sales process toward commitment and action; focuses on the pleasure or payoff achieved from the proposed solution
• At beginning of sales presentation, survey questions (information gather questions) can be used to collect basic facts about buyer's existing situation and problem
• General survey questions (situation questions) help salesperson discover facts about buyer's problem and existing situation and are often the first step in the partnership-building problems
• Specific survey questions follow general survey questions; designed to give prospects a chance to describe in more detail the problem, issue, or dissatisfaction they are experiencing from their point of view. Delve more deeply into customer's buying situation
• Survey questions should not be used to collect factual info that can be acquired from other sources