Ingram Chapter 4

Situation Question

This type of question solicits data and facts in the form of general background information and descriptions of the buyer's existing situation. Example; "Who are your current suppliers?" "Do you typically purchase or lease?"

proxemics

the personal distance that individuals prefer to keep between themselves and other individuals; an important element of nonverbal communication

six key facets to effective listening

-pay attention. -monitor nonverbals. -paraphrase and repeat. -make no assumptions. -encourage the buyer to talk. -visualize.

According to Ingram and his co-authors, a strong listener

-resists distractions and knows how to concentrate. -listens for central themes, rather than facts. -interprets the speaker's emotionally loaded words but does not get hung up on them.

Open-end questions

Questions designed to let the customer respond feely; the customer is not limited to one or two word answers but is encouraged to disclose personal and/or business information

Probing Questions

Questions designed to penetrate below generalized or superficial information to elicit more articulate and precise details for use in needs discovery and solution identification

Reactive Questions

Questions that refer to or directly result from information the other party previously provided

Evaluative Questions

Questions that use the open-and-closed end questions formats to gain confirmation and to uncover attitudes, opinions, and preferences the prospect holds

Dichotomous questions / Multiple choice questions

a directive form of questioning; these questions ask the customer to choose from two or more options

serious listening

a form of listening that is associated with events or topics in which it is important to sort through, interpret, understand, and respond to received messages

SIER

a model that depicts active listening as a hierarchical, four-step sequence of sensing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding

SPIN

a questioning system that sequences four types of questions designed to uncover a buyer's current situation and inherent problems, enhance the buyer's understanding of the consequences and implications of those problems, and lead to the proposed solution

Social Listening

an informal mode of listening that can be associated with day-to-day conversation and entertainment

Assessment Questions

do not seek conclusions but rather should address the buyer's company and operations, goals and objectives, ,market trends and customer's, current suppliers, and even the buyer as an individual. example; "What is the current level of your production?" "How long has the current equipment been in place?"

Problem questions

follow the more general situation questions to probe further for specific difficulties, developing problems, and areas of dissatisfaction that might be positively addressed by the salesperson's proposed sales offering. example; "how critical is this component for your production?" "What types of reliability problems do you experience with your current system?"

Discovery Questions

follows up assessment questions, should drill down and probe for further details needed to develop, clarify, and understand the nature of the buyer's problems fully. example; "What disadvantages do you see in the current process?" "How well are your current suppliers performing?"

nonverbal clusters

groups of related nonverbal expressions, gestures, and movements that can be interpreted to better understand the try message being communicated.

ADAPT

questioning system that uses a logic based funneling sequence of questions, beginning with broad and generalized inquires designed to identify and assess the buyer's situation

Closed-end questions

questions designed to limit the customer's responses to one or two words

Tactical Questions

questions used to shift or redirect the topic of discussion when the discussion gets off course or when a line of questioning proves to be of little interest or value

trust-based communication

talking with rather than at the customer. A collaborative and two-way form of communication that allows buyers and sellers to develop a better understanding of the need situation and work together to co-create the best response for resolving the customer's needs

active listening

the cognitive process of actively sensing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding to the verbal and nonverbal messages or current or potential customers

nonverbal communication

the conscious and unconscious reactions, movements, and utterances that people use in addition to the words and symbols associated with language.

Activation questions

used to "Activate" the customer's interest in solving discovered problems by helping him or her gain insight into the true ramifications of the problem and to realize that what might initially seem to be of little consequence is, in fact, of significant consequence. example; "To what extent are these increases in overtime expenses affecting profitability?" "How will the supplier's inability to deliver on time affect your planned expansion?"

Implication Questions

used to assist the buyer in thinking about the potential consequences of the problem and understanding the urgency of resolving the problem in a way that motivates him or her to seek a solution. example; "How does this affect profitability?" "How would a faster piece of equipment improve productivity and profits?" "It sounds like the popularity of e-readers and tablets is costing you a lot of money in lost paperback sales. About how much per month would you say you're losing?"

Projection Questions

used to encourage and facilitate the buyer in "projecting" what it would be like without the problems that have been previously "discovered" and "activated". example; "If a supplier was never late with a delivery, what effects would that have on your overall questions?"

Need-payoff questions

used to propose a solution and develop commitment from the buyer. example; "would more frequent deliveries allow you to increase productivity?" "Would you be interested in in increasing productivity by 15%?"

Transition Questions

used to smooth the transition from needs discovery into the presentation and demonstration of the proposed solution's features and benefits. example; "Would you be interested in a system that is easier for your operators to use?" "If I could show you a way to reduce your maintenance costs by twenty percent and be prepared to meet the new EPA standards that go into effect six months from now, would you be interested?"