SALES 101 Part I: Probing

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SALES 101 Part I: Probing

For you and a customer to make an informed, mutually beneficial decision, the two of you must share an understanding of the customer's needs. Probing is the means by which you gather information to achieve that understanding.

A probe is a question or other request for information. It's up to the you to ask the right questions at the right time. It's up to the customer to respond and provide meaningful answers. It's a partnership.

Throughout Probing, whenever you feel you need more information, you ask additional questions. How much or how long you probe depends on the complexity of the customer's needs and the clarity with which he/she describes them.

A successful salesperson uses a combination of open and closed probes to explore the customer's set of circumstances.

Open Probes...

The more complex a customer's needs or the more difficulty the customer has explaining them, the more you'll have to probe.

Open probes encourage customers to respond in an unrestricted manner. It's almost like you've asked the customer to "tell me your story" about his/her situation.

For example: ? "What are you looking for in a checking account?" ? "Why is that important to you?" ? "Tell me about your current method for paying bills."

Open probes help uncover needs and can lead to other meaningful information about

the customer. They also encourage the customer to expand on something he/she may have previously mentioned.

Usually, the most benefit comes from keeping your probing as open as possible. Open probes encourage customers to open up and share information they think will be useful to you. However, if you rely exclusively on open probes, your discussion may lack focus and may not provide you with the information you are looking for.

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SALES 101

Part I: Probing - continued

Closed Probes...

Closed probes limit a customer's response to a "Yes" or "No", a choice among alternatives that you supply or a specific fact.

For example:

? ? ?

"Have you ever used our internet banking service?" "Are you interested in paying bills by phone or are you more comfortable writing the checks yourself?" "How many bills do you have each month?"

Closed probes enable you to zero in on specific information about the customer. They also can be used to clarify what a customer has said or confirm a customer need.

Closed probes bring focus or closure to a discussion and are particularly useful when a customer tends to get sidetracked or doesn't provide useful information. If you rely too heavily on closed probes, the customer may feel as if he/she is being interrogated and become unwilling to share information.

Probing... Asking questions that logically and efficiently uncover relevant

information about a customer's needs... this is the vital first piece of the sales process.

Source: Professional Selling Skills, Learning International

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