Want to Sell More? Just Ask "Why?"

Sales people never want to do or say anything that will interfere when things seem to be going their way. When they sense that the prospect is leaning their way and wants to buy, they become more and more agreeable. While that is not always a bad thing, sellers often overlook key opportunities to ask meaningful questions that if left unanswered could lead to the demise of their deal; or they don’t uncover even greater opportunities within the deal that they’re working on. One question that should be asked with far more regularity is “Why?

Last year I was with a rep at a large customer. They had an urgent need to utilize one of our services. They said something like, “Can you get this done by the end of the year?” The rep appropriately responded, “Yes, of course.” Then the customer started to move on to another topic. I interrupted them and asked, “What’s the urgency with getting the project done this year?” It’s another form of asking “Why?” The customer was more than happy to explain why, remarking that it was all about their year end budget. That lead to another series of questions regarding other projects that we could complete for them prior to the end of the year. And the pipeline got fuller.

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There are plenty of situations to ask “Why?” and in multiple forms. Some examples:

Customer: “Your company is performing well against the competition and is in the lead on this project.”

Average Seller: “Great to hear!”

Top Seller: “Great to hear! What are we doing particularly well that has us in the lead?”

Customer: “It is important to me that your product has this particular feature.”

Average Seller: “Our product has that feature.”

Top Seller: “Our product has that feature. But if I may, why is that important to you?”

Customer: “We only buy direct from the manufacturer. We don’t use middle men.”

Average Seller: “Our product is supported through multiple channels.”

Top Seller: “Our product is supported through multiple channels. Why is it important that you buy direct?”

Customer: “The summer is a bad time for us to begin implementation. It’ll have to be this fall.”

Average Seller: “We can start this fall, no problem.”

Top Seller: “We can start this fall, no problem. What about the summer makes it a bad time for you?”

Customer: “We’re terminating the relationship with our current vendor and want to speak with you about your services.”

Average Seller: “Okay. Let’s set up some time to speak this week.”

Top Seller: “Okay. Let’s set up some time to speak this week. Before we do, I’d like to learn more about what happened with the other vendor to see if we can avoid making the same mistake.”

It’s very tempting to agree with a customer when things seem to be going your way. Failing to ask “Why?” can lead to the loss of some critical information. It can be the difference between winning and losing a deal. More importantly, prospects are looking for credible business partners when they make important buying decisions. Being a “yes man” throughout the sales process won’t differentiate you from your competitors and certainly doesn’t position you as a business partner. Your willingness to ask “Why?” can and will set you apart. So the next time it sounds like things are going your way, stop and take a moment to ask “Why?”