![\"sales](\"http:\/\/adaptivesalesgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Collier_1891_rudyard-kipling.jpg\")
<\/a>Rudyard Kipling<\/p><\/div>\n
“I keep six honest serving men What the very clever Rudyard Kipling was talking about was the ability to ask effective questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n I am constantly keeping an eye out for what annoys customers when they are being sold to and the one that keeps popping up is ‘Not listening properly’. But of course, if you want to listen to a customer, you have to know what to ask them. These words to which Mr Kipling referred are, of course, ‘open’ questions. In other words, it is hard to answer briefly with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. When you are in front of a customer, talking to them on the phone, or even communicating virtually via email or social media, then you need to be able to ask effective questions or you won’t properly understand what is important to them. Of course you need to listen as well, or you may miss some brilliant answers, but if you’ve ever been in a conversation with a customer and frozen because you don’t know what to ask next, then try some of these:<\/p>\n What<\/strong> are your plans for your business?<\/p>\n What<\/strong> is important to you when choosing a supplier?<\/p>\n Why<\/strong> is this important to you?<\/p>\n Why<\/strong> are you considering using our product\/service?<\/p>\n When<\/strong> do you need to implement this new solution?<\/p>\n When<\/strong> is the wedding\/event?<\/p>\n How<\/strong> do you distribute your services?<\/p>\n How<\/strong> does poor delivery affect your business?<\/p>\n Where<\/strong> do people find out about you?<\/p>\n Where<\/strong> are the most likely areas for growth in your business?<\/p>\n Who<\/strong> are your best customers?<\/p>\n Who<\/strong> is your biggest competitor and why?<\/p>\n So next time you have a customer to speak to, why don’t you try using one of these wonderful open questions and see just how much information your customers give you!<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n
<\/strong>(they taught me all I knew);
<\/strong>Their names are What and Why and When
<\/strong>And How and Where and Who.”<\/strong><\/p>\n