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Salespeople can only "prescribe the right medicine" if they identify the right problems, truly helping clients solve existing issues. Therefore, questioning is crucial for salespeople to develop new clients and close sales. If salespeople cannot uncover the real needs of customers through effective questioning, it is difficult to complete a sale. In reality, many salespeople are relatively weak in this area, especially those under distributors who do not think from the customer's perspective. They just want to sell the product as quickly as possible, so from the beginning to the end of the communication, they talk endlessly about their product, ultimately leading to sales failure.

I. Positive and Negative Case Scenarios

[Case 1] Xiao Wang is a salesperson under a liquor distributor in Shangyu, Jiangxi. After winning the trust of Manager Zhang, the purchasing manager of a B-class hotel, Xiao Wang began to introduce his product to Manager Zhang in order to sell the liquor quickly. Their conversation is as follows:

Xiao Wang: Hello, Manager Zhang! The packaging and bottle design of our product were created by a well-known domestic design company. Look at how beautiful the packaging is; consumers will definitely love it. Manager Zhang: The packaging is indeed beautiful. Xiao Wang: The liquor itself was developed by XX, a national-level liquor judge. Manager Zhang: The liquor is indeed good. Xiao Wang: Selling our product can earn you a 40% profit margin, plus we offer 10% promotional support. Manager Zhang: It sounds like selling your product could make a lot of money. Xiao Wang: If you need, you can place an initial order to try. With such a good product and such a large profit margin, you will definitely make a killing selling our product. Manager Zhang: I'm sorry, but we are not considering new products for our store at the moment. I'll let you know later. Xiao Wang doesn't understand why the customer rejected him, or why the customer rejected such a good product.

Xiao Liu is Xiao Wang's colleague. Facing the same customer, let's see how Xiao Liu communicates after winning the customer's trust.

[Case 2] Xiao Liu: Hello, Manager Zhang! How do you usually choose liquor products to sell in your store? Manager Zhang: When choosing liquor products, we first consider the quality of the product, then the profit margin, after-sales service, packaging, and bottle design. Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what do you mean by product quality? Manager Zhang: The product quality I refer to must meet national standards. Additionally, the taste and alcohol content should align with the drinking habits of local consumers. Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what makes you think product quality is so important? Manager Zhang: Last time I stocked a product with beautiful packaging, but after drinking it, consumers reported headaches, and some even said we were selling fake liquor, demanding compensation on the spot. Xiao Liu: If our product can meet your quality requirements, and we offer you a reasonable profit margin, and guarantee to visit at least once a week for after-sales service, would you choose to sell our product? Manager Zhang: Since the quality issue with that last product, all products entering our store must be tasted by our company's Manager Li and Manager Wang before we decide whether to sell them. Xiao Liu: Would tomorrow evening or the day after tomorrow evening be convenient for you to invite Manager Li and Manager Wang to taste our product right here in your restaurant? We'll host, and we'll also give each of them a case of tasting liquor as a gift. Manager Zhang: We have a middle-management meeting tomorrow evening. Let's arrange the tasting for the day after tomorrow evening. Xiao Liu: Thank you, Manager Zhang! See you the day after tomorrow evening. After the tasting by Manager Wang and Manager Li, the product successfully entered the store.

II. Analyzing the Success Factors Behind the Successful Case

From the comparison of Xiao Wang and Xiao Liu's cases, it is clear that Xiao Liu did better than Xiao Wang. Xiao Wang only wanted to sell the product quickly, so from start to finish he simply stated the product's features, failing to impress the customer and resulting in a lost sale. In contrast, Xiao Liu asked effective questions, keying in on what the customer cared about, then used the customer's answers to understand their needs, and finally presented product features and solutions around those needs, leading to a successful sale.

[Analysis of Xiao Liu's Case] In communicating with the customer, the first question is crucial because it determines whether the conversation can continue. Therefore, the first question should directly address the topic, not be polite but meaningless.

For example, Xiao Liu's first question to the customer (exploratory question): Xiao Liu: "Hello, Manager Zhang! How do you usually choose liquor products to sell in your store?" Or "Hello, Manager Zhang! What kind of liquor products do you usually choose to sell in your store?" Manager Zhang: "When choosing liquor products, I first consider the quality of the product, then the profit margin, after-sales service, packaging, and bottle design."

Because Xiao Liu had already won the customer's trust, the customer generally would not refuse to answer such a question. This allows Xiao Liu to adjust his approach and ask the next question based on the customer's answer. For example, Xiao Liu's second question (exploratory question): Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what do you mean by quality? Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what do you mean by profit margin? Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what do you mean by after-sales service? Manager Zhang: The product quality I refer to must meet national standards. Additionally, the taste and alcohol content should align with the drinking habits of local consumers. Manager Zhang: The profit margin I refer to is that our profit should not be less than 40%. Manager Zhang: The after-sales service standard I refer to is that salespeople should visit at least once a week and exchange products in a timely manner.

Based on the customer's answers to the second question, Xiao Liu can ask the third question: "What makes you think this point is important?" or "Why do you think this point is important?" Such questions can elicit the customer's true needs. Which point does the customer think is most important? And why? These answers will be key to promoting a successful sale. For example, Xiao Liu's third question (exploratory question): Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what makes you think product quality is so important? Manager Zhang: Last time I stocked a product with beautiful packaging, but after drinking it, consumers reported headaches, and some even said we were selling fake liquor, demanding compensation on the spot. Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what makes you think profit margin is so important? Manager Zhang: Our company has monthly performance assessments, and the profit we earn from selling products is linked to our bonuses. Xiao Liu: Manager Zhang, what makes you think after-sales service is so important? Manager Zhang: Because our restaurant's warehouse is relatively small, many suppliers do not provide timely after-sales service, resulting in stockouts of bestsellers and overstocking of slow-moving items, filling the warehouse and preventing other products from being stored.

At this point, Xiao Liu immediately asks the fourth question: "If our product can meet your needs, would you choose our product?" Note that the most reasonable price is not necessarily the lowest price. The customer's answer to this question gives Xiao Liu a clear answer. This is a feedback question that includes all the information from the previous three questions, a typical "If we do this, would you do that?" question. This question will elicit a commitment from the customer, and at this point, the situation becomes clear. For example, Xiao Liu's fourth question (implicative question): Xiao Liu: If our product can meet your quality requirements (our product was developed by XX, a national-level liquor judge), and we offer you a reasonable profit margin, and guarantee to visit at least once a week for after-sales service, would you choose to sell our product? Manager Zhang: Since the quality issue with that last product, all products entering our store must be tasted by our company's Manager Li and Manager Wang before we decide whether to sell them.

At this point, Xiao Liu poses the final question, which aims to finalize the specific tasting date, quantity, etc., providing the customer with a tangible proof. For example, Xiao Liu's fifth question (solution-oriented question): Xiao Liu: Hello, Manager Zhang! Would tomorrow evening or the day after tomorrow evening be convenient for you to invite Manager Li and Manager Wang to taste our product right here in your restaurant? We'll host, and we'll also give each of them a case of tasting liquor as a gift. Manager Zhang: We have a middle-management meeting tomorrow evening. Let's arrange the tasting for the day after tomorrow evening. Xiao Liu: Thank you, Manager Zhang! See you the day after tomorrow evening.

III. Principles for "Questioning + Listening"

From the above case analysis, we understand that to uncover customer needs, salespeople must use "questioning + listening." Because customers only care about their needs, and the only way to determine those needs is through "questioning + listening," and it must be effective questioning.

To achieve effective questioning, salespeople must follow these principles:

  1. Define your key objectives For example: to advance the sale; to develop the best solution for your customer; to squeeze out competitors; to expand new customers.
  2. Be flexible in front of the customer For example: the conversation content should be within the sales knowledge system; customer needs are the most important, followed by product knowledge and company knowledge; understand the customer comprehensively and proactively, and communicate pleasantly with the customer.
  3. Ask more "what" questions, fewer "yes/no" questions For example: What caused this problem? What measures should we take to achieve the goal? What obstacles did we encounter? What is the final result we expect?
  4. Progress questions step by step Adopt a step-by-step strategy; ask about the customer's current and future needs; and guide the customer to think about the problems our product or service can solve and the core benefits we create for the customer.

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