A Free Summary of the Book Questions That Sell by Paul Cherry

In the intricate dance of sales, the right questions are your most elegant steps. Questions That Sell by Paul Cherry isn’t just a book; it’s a masterclass in the art of inquiry. This transformative guide illuminates how strategic questioning can unlock deeper customer insights, foster genuine connections, and drive sales success. 

Establishing Relationships Through Questions

Cherry emphasizes the power of great questions, highlighting that effective sales questioning goes beyond mere information gathering. These questions, described as “truth-seeking missiles,” play a critical role in several key areas:

1. Encouraging Dialogue: Good questions motivate prospects to engage in meaningful conversations, providing valuable insights necessary for closing deals.
2. Standing Out: They differentiate sales professionals from competitors who may not possess the same level of inquiry skills.
3. Building Empathy: By showing a willingness to listen to prospects’ problems and frustrations, salespeople create an environment where the prospect feels comfortable sharing more, including potentially sensitive information.
4. Facilitating Self-Discovery: Effective questioning helps prospects recognize their own needs, leading them to draw their own conclusions about their problems.
5. Prompting Action: These questions can nudge prospects towards realizing the importance of taking action to solve their issues.
6. Understanding Decision Processes: They can uncover insights into a company’s decision-making process and identify key decision-makers.

Six Types of Sales Questions to Ask

Educational

Educational questions are a tool to expand a customer’s knowledge and set apart a salesperson from their competition. These questions move away from the traditional sales pitch and instead engage prospects in sharing relevant information about their problems. A typical format for an educational question might involve referencing a recent article or statistic and asking the prospect to compare it with their own experience. For example, asking about challenges related to using foreign developers based on a trend highlighted in a business article.

Educational questions are particularly useful in four scenarios: as a teaser in a voicemail to prompt a return call, as an icebreaker at the start of a meeting, to revive a stalled sales conversation, or to rejuvenate an existing customer relationship. However, it’s advised to use this strategy sparingly – about one educational question per meeting – to maintain the perception of being a consultative seller.

Lock-On

Lock-on questions are a sales technique that builds on the initial responses of buyers to deepen the conversation and better understand the challenges they face. The goal is to lock onto a part of the buyer’s statement that could reveal more about their true needs and issues. Examples include:

• If a prospect mentions difficulty in launching a project, a lock-on question could be asking for specifics about what has worked and what obstacles they are facing.
• If a prospect expresses a preference for a partnership over a standard vendor relationship, a lock-on question might probe into what the prospect defines as a partnership.
• If a prospect has issues with their current vendor, a lock-on question could ask for details about these specific problems.

These questions should be used judiciously to avoid making prospects feel like they are being interrogated, which could be perceived as aggressive. The appropriate use of lock-on questions includes situations where:

• There is already established rapport and empathy with the prospect.
• There is a genuine intention to connect and understand the prospect’s needs and concerns.

Impact

Impact questions in sales focus on exploring the consequences and ramifications of the challenges faced by a prospect. These questions are used after a prospect has identified a specific problem, enabling the salesperson to guide them in understanding the full impact of this issue. The approach involves:

• Allowing the prospect to express their frustrations, which can be cathartic and brings the problem into sharper focus.
• Encouraging the prospect to consider various aspects of how the problem impacts them, such as effects on their company, their position, and personal well-being.
• Recognizing that many customers have not deeply analyzed their problems or understood the potential costs associated with them.

Examples of how to phrase impact questions include:

• Asking about the potential impact on the company if no action is taken.
• Inquiring about the personal impact on the prospect within their company.
• Exploring the financial and time costs associated with addressing the problem.
• Discussing the personal toll, like time lost with family, due to work-related issues.

The key is to lead the prospect to realize the extent of their problem’s impact, often leading them to conclude on their own that a solution is necessary. Impact questions are valuable for making the prospect aware of the urgency and necessity of addressing their challenges.

Expansion

Expansion questions in sales are aimed at building upon the information a prospect has already provided, offering deeper insights into their needs and decision-making processes. The principle behind these questions is that the more a prospect shares, the more opportunities a salesperson has to understand their needs and how to address them effectively.

These questions often start with prompts like “Describe for me…”, “Share with me…”, “Explain…”, “Walk me through…”, “Tell me…”, “Could you clarify…”, “Can you expand upon what you just said?”, and “Help me understand…”. The goal is to encourage the prospect to provide more detailed and comprehensive responses. Examples of transforming ordinary questions into expansion questions include:

• Instead of simply asking “Who is the decision maker?”, ask “Walk me through your company’s decision-making process.”
• Rather than asking “Are you satisfied with your current system?”, a more expansive approach would be “Share with me your level of satisfaction with your current system.”
• Instead of directly questioning “Is price important to you?” or “Is service important to you?”, ask something like “Explain to me the criteria you use to ensure you’re getting the best value.”

By converting basic inquiries into expansion questions, a salesperson can elicit more detailed and useful information, which can be crucial in tailoring their sales approach and solutions to meet the specific needs of the prospect.

Comparison 

Comparison questions in sales are a technique used to gain clarity on a prospect’s priorities by having them compare various elements. These questions can cover a wide range of topics, offering insights into the prospect’s past experiences, future expectations, decision-making processes, competitive positioning, and more. The aim is to uncover deeper, more nuanced information that can guide a sales strategy. Key areas for comparison questions include:

1. Time: To understand changes over time, ask the prospect to compare their current goals with those from a year ago.
2. Decision Makers: Inquire how the current decision-making process differs from previous experiences.
3. Competitors: Ask the prospect to describe what sets their company apart from competitors.
4. Pains and Gains: Encourage prospects to compare their current organizational gaps with those in other organizations they’ve experienced.
5. Market Trends: To get a sense of business performance, ask them to compare this year’s business with the previous year or with other businesses in their industry.
6. Vendors: Ask them to describe their ideal vendor qualities and compare those with their current vendor relationship.

The purpose of these questions is to draw out detailed information from prospects and use that to determine the best ways to assist them. By encouraging comparisons, a salesperson can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the prospect’s situation and tailor their approach accordingly.

Vision 

Vision questions in sales are designed to help prospects envision the benefits and positive outcomes of doing business with a salesperson. These questions aim to guide prospects towards realizing how a product or service can help them achieve their goals, hopes, and dreams. Key aspects of vision questions include:

• Using “If” Statements: These questions often contain the word “if” to propose hypothetical scenarios, such as solving a costly problem and exploring the potential benefits for the prospect and their organization.
• Addressing Explicit Needs: Prospects typically express explicit needs like cost savings, market share growth, and profitability. Vision questions can tie these needs to the solutions offered.
• Uncovering Implicit Needs: To truly resonate with prospects, it’s important to understand and address their implicit needs, which are often unspoken but deeply influential in decision making. These needs include:
  • Success: The desire for accomplishment and achievement.
  • Independence: The need for control and autonomy at work.
  • Recognition: The desire to be valued and acknowledged.
  • Security: The need for job stability and avoiding negative perceptions.
  • Stimulation: The desire for challenging and engaging work.
  • Peace of Mind: The need to feel that responsibilities are managed and under control.
  • Simplicity: The desire for ease and straightforwardness in work and life.

By crafting questions that connect with both the explicit and implicit needs of the prospect, salespeople can demonstrate how their solutions align with the prospect’s broader objectives and desires. This approach helps in building a deeper connection with the prospect and moves them closer to a decision. The ultimate goal of vision questions is to make the prospect realize that their implicit needs will be met, leading to a more satisfying and comprehensive solution.

In conclusion, by embracing the power of thoughtful questioning, sales professionals can not only increase their success rates but also build more meaningful and lasting customer relationships. Remember, in the realm of sales, your ability to ask insightful questions isn’t just a skill—it’s your most valuable asset. Whether you’re a seasoned sales veteran or new to the field, Cherry’s insights provide a roadmap to a more connected and successful sales experience.

Action Items:

• Always listen actively to your prospects to tailor your questions effectively.
• Use questions to differentiate yourself from competitors and demonstrate genuine interest in your customers’ needs.
• Regularly practice and refine your questioning techniques to stay ahead in the sales game.

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