Comments on: 101 Questions for Any Sales Situation

By: Alan Weiss

Alan Weiss — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:02:30 +0000

No need for a “last” word, I respect your opinion. I just rebel against “systems.” But I never argue with success.Thanks for contributing here.

By: Jim Powell

Jim Powell — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:29:32 +0000

ah! I agree with David Sandler, so we will disagree, no harm is that is there?

I think Sandler is a professional approach. I used to be a Dale Carneigie style sales person but find the Sandler system work better for me. Nothing wrong at all with Dale Carneige by the way, it’s just old and everyone uses it and it uses old fashion trial closes for example and other tricky methods.

I dont want the prospect to read my mind at all, I want to read theirs, I am going to need help doing that. They are ALWAYS only too happy to help in my experience. It doesn’t mean I don’t have tons of others questions for them.

I still like what you have to say and your approach and will take it on board, I wouldn’t be here now if I didn’t would I?

I’m not one of those who are itching with a ego style fight with AW on a blog. I can see what you does works, cars, house, lifestyle and best selling books etc.

I leave you to have the last word.

By: Alan Weiss

Alan Weiss — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:59:54 +0000

I don’t agree with Sandler, this is a very amateur approach. The client can always claim that you missed something.

It’s intellectual vacuity to ask someone else “What have I missed” as if they should be reading your mind and providing you with help. That’s why I have all those questions.

You’ll never know more about the prospect, but you do know more about your process. You’re getting confused between content and process.

By: jim Powell

jim Powell — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:06:50 +0000

The reason I ask these question is because it does get the prospect to do some work, true. Then the prospect can never come back with “I missed something”, you also then never miss any objection they may have to doing business with you, very similar to your question #77, yours is about you, mine is about them. It also helps develop conversation and the relationship. I never assume to know more about the prospect then they do.

David Sandler in, You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike in a Seminar – talks about getting the prospect to do the work as they are best qualified to overcome their own objections.

I can handle being called an amateur by the way.

By: Alan Weiss

Alan Weiss — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:40:22 +0000

I think that would be a huge mistake. These are supposed to be conversational, not a test, a relationship, not an interrogation. By the way, I hate questions like “What should I have asked?” and “What have I missed”?, etc., because they expect the prospect to do your work for you. You need to be sharper than that, that’s amateur stuff.

By: jim Powell

jim Powell — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:55:58 +0000

Brilliant, really brilliant – I have just been re-working my pre sales call plan to qualify prospects hard and find the real probelm – I only got to 30 questions – I know now what I am missing – if you miss a question the deal just goes into a stall, right.

A favourite question of mine is “what have I not asked you that I should have ? i.e. 77 on your list, or I ask myself, is something not being said that should be, sometimes I feel that something is not being said that should be, I feel it in my gut somewhere. When I find it I must ask it however uncomfortable.

I wonder if I could send some of my questions out before a meeting?

By: Alan Weiss

Alan Weiss — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:59:14 +0000

Glad you liked it. This business is not rocket science.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:10:33 +0000

Great post. Haven’t read anything as good in awhile anywhere. Thanks.
(I wonder if the fact that I agree with everything is because I am getting better or you are getting worse … (joking)