This session will demonstrate how using Socratic questioning technique, attendees can qualify prospective customers while leading them to discover the value of your product or service. Attendees will learn how to apply reversing strategies and softening statements to get more information, overcome stalls and objections or problems that they encounter with prospects. By using these strategies, they can gain deeper trust and subtly persuade prospects to open up and discuss the real problems they are trying to solve. The panelists will answer questions and offer real examples of how educating prospects by asking good questions makes for shorter sales cycles and deeper client relationships.

1. Selling Smart Workshop Series

2. Selling Smart Workshop:
Format
Workshop 9 – 10 am:
 Interactive Training Session
 Addressing Common Challenges
Panel Q & A 10 – 11 am
 Application
 Specific challenges in your business
 Anything

3. Selling Smart Workshop Today:
Communicating Value with Questions
Workshop : How educating prospects by
asking good questions makes for
shorter sales cycles and deeper client
relationships
Panel Q & A : How Socratic questioning
works, real-world

4. Communicating Value
 Should salespeople spend more time
asking or answering questions?
 Why?

5. Communicating Value with
Questions

6. Break Out of the Mold
 A Sales Pro Traditionally:
 Knows it all, tells it all, convinces all.
 Why is all this telling not a good idea?
 How will you know what they know?

7. The Dummy Curve
Time
Salesperson
Talks

8. Dummy Phrases
 “Did you mean…”
 “Tell me more about…”
 “Help me…”
 “I think I understand…”
 “I don’t suppose…”
 “You’re way ahead of me…”
 “Let’s review…” etc., etc.

9. Nancy & the Seagulls

10. Rules
 No buzzwords.
 Don’t spill your candy in the lobby.
 Don’t paint seagulls in your prospect’s picture.
 Learn all you can about your stuff—just don’t tell
about it.

11. Learning to Ask Questions
 Prospects are comfortable asking
questions, salespeople are comfortable
answering them
 But many questions are smoke screens
If you are not sure:
• Why the prospect asks a question, ASK
• Of the underlying intent of the question, ASK
• Of the importance of the question, ASK

12. (More) Rules
 No buzzwords.
 Don’t spill your candy in the lobby.
 Don’t paint seagulls in your prospect’s picture.
 Learn all you can about your stuff—just don’t tell
about it.
 Your value as a Sales Pro is determined more by
the info you gather than by the info you give.
 No mind reading.
 When reversed, a prospect will always redefine
his question.

13. Reversing Insights
 3+ Reverses to clear the smoke
 First two answers are intellectual
 3rd is emotional
 Use softening statements

14. Reverses You Can Use
 “You must be telling me that for a reason.”
 “And you’re pointing that out because…?”
 “Why did you ask that just now?”
 “When you say you’re unhappy with… …what does
that mean?”
 “Is that a big concern?”
 “If we could provide that, what’s the next step?”
 3rd or 4th - “Like…”, “Which means…?”, “And…?,”
“You’d like for me to…?”

15. Soft, not evasive or
aggressive
 Begin all reverses with a softening statement.
 Answer every question with a question, but
soften it first.

16. Use / Vary Softening Statements
 “I’ll be happy to...”
 “I’m glad you asked.”
 “Good point.”
 “I appreciate that question.”
 “I understand.”
 “That makes sense.”
 “A lot of people ask that.”
 “That sounds important to you.”

17. Softened Reverses
 “I’m glad you asked…and you must be asking
me that for a reason?”
 “Good point. And if we could provide that, what’s
the next step?”
 “I understand the question. But do you mind
sharing why you asked it just now?”
 “That makes sense. And is that a big concern?”
 “That sounds important. And it’s important
because…?”
 I appreciate your insight. And when you say
you’re unhappy with… …what does that mean?”
3rd or 4th reverse - “Like…”, “Which
means…?”, “And…?,” “You’d like for me to…?”

18. Another Rule:
Never answer an unasked question.

19. Educating with Questions
Educating With Questions Worksheet
One powerful method of conveying information is to ask questions, the answers to which
are the information you want them to discover.
There are two parts to your questions:
1. Opening – Begin with a statement such as “I don’t suppose . . .” or “Did we
discuss . . .”, or “If I were to say . . .”
2. Benefit statement – Describe the benefit from a feature you are offering, using
conversational language.
Feature Benefit Educating Question
Qualify budget
before proposing
Propose a solution
that is in budget
If I were to say that the solution I’m thinking of offering
you is well within that budget, what would you say?
Disqualify
prospects early
Save time wasted
on unqualified
prospects
Let’s suppose that you could save the 10 -20 hours you
say you waste on unqualified prospects, would that be
important?

20. Exercise – Pair-offExercise – Pair-off
 Write 2 or 3 Educating Questions
of your own – 5 minutes
 Question a partner “prospect”
 Partner provide feedback, help
refine

21. Lessons Learned
 One takeaway
 Can you use it?
 On Business Card:
 Questions – “Q”
 Speaking Opportunities – “S”
 Contact me – “C”
 Raffle

22. Questions for the Panel
On break take a moment to write
questions for the panel about:
 The workshop
 The panelists application of tactics
 Specific challenges in your business
 Anything

23. Selling Smart Workshop Series