Competition in every industry is now extremely fierce, and the demands on salespeople are increasingly high. Bookstores are filled with more and more books on sales techniques. Even newcomers to sales know that when visiting clients, they should ask more questions, learn more about the client, and develop targeted cooperation plans to stand out among competitors. However, for those just starting in sales, a lack of experience often leads to mistakes in questioning, resulting in little useful information. Some salespeople, especially those with introverted personalities, may even make clients feel interrogated, hindering cooperation.
In reality, salespeople shouldn't wait until meeting a client to think of questions; they should design questions in advance before the visit. Everyone knows they should design open-ended, broad questions. For experienced salespeople, this approach is fine, but for beginners, it's crucial to ensure that the questions elicit information about the company, products, or the client themselves, so they can gather the desired data.
Let's first look at common questions salespeople ask clients:
"Do you know about our company?" (or "Have you heard of us?") After asking this, regardless of the answer, the salesperson typically launches into a full company introduction.
"How many units do you sell per month? Which brand sells best? How many units does that brand sell monthly? What price range do you typically sell?" This rapid-fire questioning feels mechanical and indeed like an interrogation.
"How long have you been working with your current supplier? Do they visit often? How satisfied are you with them?" This question is self-defeating because the client can praise the current supplier (whether true or not). If true, why would they switch? If false, they might set high demands, and the salesperson must discern truth from fiction.
"If we could offer lower prices (better service or similar products and sales plans), would you consider cooperating with us?" This may only elicit a vague response, as low prices don't guarantee sales, and it prematurely starts a price war. The client might say, "Show me your products," or "I'll think about it," leaving cooperation uncertain.
"What payment methods do you currently use? Do you have a budget for new product promotions (or campaign promotions)?" Clients will answer in their favor, and even if false, they'll sound convincing, leading salespeople to collect inaccurate information that could harm future cooperation.
There are many similar questions. Salespeople often feel good about asking them because they do gather some client information (overall sales, current partners, payment terms, etc.). However, for the clients answering, these questions are repetitive—they've answered them countless times. It's just a review of what they already know. Meanwhile, useful information isn't conveyed to the client. Company culture presentations are also repetitive; clients are likely tired of hearing them. If salespeople fail to communicate valuable information, clients will respond with, "Give me a product brochure," "I'll call you if needed," or "Let me think about it."
Don't blame clients too much. On a first visit, the salesperson is a stranger, and who wants to tell the truth to a stranger? Even on second or third visits, without cooperation, the relationship remains distant. To break down the client's "firewall" through questioning, salespeople must prepare and lay groundwork before asking. This means not jumping straight into product introduction after company culture, a common mistake. Once clients sense a sales pitch, their defenses rise. A township store owner I once knew said he hated sales visits because they wasted his time. Indeed, if salespeople can't provide useful information, they waste both the client's and their own time. Some salespeople even ramble, thinking the client doesn't cooperate because they haven't explained enough or well enough, and when they realize the client isn't listening, they blame the client for being difficult. I recall a book saying, "A nagging woman is ugliest." For clients, a nagging salesperson is most annoying, so much so that clients won't even accept dinner invitations. For such salespeople, I suggest searching for McKinsey's "elevator speech" to understand the dangers of long-windedness.
If McKinsey's "elevator speech" is correct, salespeople should complete their self-introduction and company culture presentation in a short time (the shorter, the better) upon meeting a client. This might be challenging for talkative salespeople, but this brief pitch serves as a foundation for questioning. Here's an example of pre-questioning preparation we require from our salespeople:
Salesperson: "Hello, boss. I'm [name] from [company name], responsible for [brand] phones. You can call me [nickname] if you like. I appreciate your time. May I take 30-60 seconds to introduce our company?"
Would a client refuse a minute? If not, the salesperson can proceed with the company culture introduction.
Salesperson: "We are a [description] company. We currently partner with [number] retail stores here. Our goal is... To illustrate how we achieve this, let me give you an example: [a real example, preferably nearby, with photos or a computer presentation]. Here's the contact of this client; if you have questions about our cooperation plan, you can ask them (inform the client in advance; peer persuasion is more effective). Of course, whether we can achieve similar results for you remains to be seen. But if possible, may I ask you a few simple questions?"
Note: After introducing the company and case, it's crucial to ask questions, not introduce products—a common mistake. Once you start talking products, the client's IQ rises and they become defensive. At this point, ask open-ended, broad questions covering brand, product, and the client personally. These questions should be pre-planned, not improvised. Before designing them, consider possible answers.
Here are some example questions:
"Boss, what are your main requirements when selecting a new brand?" Answers might include brand awareness, product quality, payment terms, after-sales speed, etc., revealing issues with current partners that the salesperson can guide the client to recognize.
"Boss, you've been in this industry for a long time. What changes have you seen in the industry and your customers?" This gathers the client's views on the industry, their external customers' demands, and possibly product requirements, indirectly revealing gaps in their store.
"Boss, before visiting, I heard many manufacturers (agents) are willing to cooperate with you. Can you tell me why?" This flatters the client without being obsequious, making them willing to answer. It also reveals their current cooperation with competitors and personal interests.
For agents: "Mr./Ms. [Surname], you've built your current business team. What are you most satisfied and dissatisfied with about your team?" This uncovers company structure, workflow, and existing (or unnoticed) problems, and reveals whether the client has a big-picture view or is limited to current development.
For stores: "Boss, if you had to describe your staff (or customers) in three (or five) words, what would they be?" This seemingly asks about expectations for staff but can reveal unresolved issues (e.g., staff turnover). If asking about customers, it shows whether the boss understands market and terminal changes, and whether they have terminal awareness, aiding future cooperation decisions.
Through such questioning, you can quickly understand the client's concepts, views, and interests. Beginners might ask one question after another, which can still feel like an interrogation. So, practice finding keywords in the client's answers. For example, with question 1, if the client says, "I'd definitely choose a branded phone; consumers are more brand-conscious now, no one buys knockoffs," grab the keyword "brand" and ask, "Boss, what do you consider a branded phone in this area?" The client will share their views on style, quality, after-sales, brand image, promotion support, etc. Some salespeople avoid such discussions, fearing harsh demands, but this prevents a direct price war. With question 5, when the client speaks, you can interject, "You used the word '...'—why do you say that?" or "You mentioned '...' frequently; why is that important to you?" By seizing keywords, you can follow the client's lead, reducing defensiveness and turning the conversation into a chat.
Salespeople are often self-assertive and love to talk, but clients are also self-assertive and enjoy speaking. When exploring client needs, it's best to let the client do most of the talking. Only by letting them speak can you uncover their needs and potentially achieve cooperation.