20 Questions your Prospects may ask you before they Buy
Different? Value? Short & Fast Message? Solve the Problem? best Solution? Competent Sales People? Fast Delivery? In my Time Window? Timely Shipment / Delivery? Pay Extra? Late? Communications? Response? Guarantee? EZ 2 Order? Improving? New Prod/Srv? Real Expectations? Best? your Communication?
What? Do you know what questions your Prospects will typically ask you? Your company exists because of how effective you are at converting your prospects into Customers. Anything else will be no sense to you and your company. So, it is important to communicate with your Prospects and give them total permission to start asking you anything that they want to.
Benefit. If you give your Prospects permission to ask you any type of questions related to your business, the value you are offering them, or even totally seemingly unrelated things about your company, you and your business may have a bunch of useful ideas ready to be implemented for future improvements.
Why Not? So, why do you not give that type of permission to your Prospects? Entrepreneurs have often avoided responsibility and not-so-desirable questions to hide their weaknesses. But why? What will you get if you don’t reduce or remove all your weaknesses? Your job as an entrepreneur is to discover all possible weaknesses in your company and put all your effort into removing them or making weaknesses become some of your greatest strengths.
QUESTIONS
Here are 20 questions from Prospects – collected from many different companies.
#1. How Different are you from your Competitors?
What’s your differentiation. In a world full of competitors, what makes you stand out? What sets you apart from other companies? The key here is to consider what makes your product unique, what attributes set you apart, and why someone should buy your product and/or instead of something else. A big part of Marketing is building a Brand that Customers associate with value. So start with a few words that sum up what your company does in a single sentence. Then find out what those words mean. Write a short paragraph for each one, and then read those out loud. Do they sound familiar? Do they describe something your company already offers? Is it something your Prospects expect from you? Are those words and phrases your company’s Brand? If they’re not, revise them until they are. If they are, make sure you keep them and use them when you talk with your Prospects.
#2. How does your Value work for me?
Most Prospects are looking for something more than just the lowest price. They want to know if your company offers a better value. When you explain how a product and/or service will save them money and/or time or impact their success, they’ll be convinced to buy it. You should be able to show that your product and/or service is better than the current market leader. If you aren’t, there’s not much point in selling. Here are a few things to think about:
- Is the value you offering more valuable?
- Do you offer a lower price?
- Does your offering make it easier for me to complete my tasks?
- Will I save time or money if I buy your product or service?
- Can I improve my business with your products and/or services?
So, this is another important aspect of persuasive messaging that can increase your chances of closing deals. This tactic has been used effectively by many small businesses and entrepreneurs who have found ways to “create a better value for the customer.” They use compelling messages to convince Customers that their products and/or services are better than alternatives.
#3. Can you explain your Value in < 5 minutes?
Many companies claim they have some sort of special sauce that will make their company better or better than any other company. But if you have to spend to much time explaining yourself, why should they listen? People don’t want to hear about how great you are at what you do. They want to understand why they should buy you. They want to know what value you bring to the table. They want to understand what problem you solve and what makes you better than others who do the same thing. If you don’t provide value and tell them why you’re the best product for their business, you won’t make the sale.
Be Timely. Prospects don’t want to read a long Blog post or hear long explanations. Many people will pass it up – if it requires an extended amount of time to understand the concept. This is why you need to be concise, clear, & specific in your content. Ensure your main message is conveyed in a short amount of words. KISS: Keep it Simple, but Specific !!!
#4. Can you Solve my Problem?
It’s all about the proof. This is something when you are trying to persuade someone that you know exactly what they want, and you are giving it to them. It is a powerful sales technique because it implies that the Prospect knows what is best for them. They should know why they want or need something, but not what they get for their money. It’s all about having a unique perspective on your product and/or service. To be unique in this context, you must do a little extra research to find out what your Prospects need or want. If you don’t have these answers, then you’re going to be left struggling to keep up with other competitors who do.
#5. Are the best Solution for me?
This question reveals your credibility. How can I believe that you are the best solution for me? Credibility is one of the most powerful influences on your ability to persuade someone to buy something or take action. People often find themselves unable to make a decision without some kind of validation. In this context, that means you need to ensure the product or service does what they want it to do. You can’t just tell your Prospect that you’re the best. You need to convince them and prove it. So what can you say and do to earn their trust and show them why they should believe you’re the right choice to solve their problem?
#6. Are your Sales people Competent?
This is something related to your sales team. It is better for you to ask this question yourself instead of bringing it up to your Prospect. Are you working with many clueless, useless people who don’t know how to properly sell your products and/or services? Or do you have a well–trained team of sales people who are experts at their jobs and really do care about you and your business? I mean, do you have real sales people or just the occasional low-level employees? Are they less effective, because they are selling something that they don’t understand.
3 Key Factors. When looking for quality products, we look for three things: 1) quality, 2) affordability, & 3) reliability. These are the only factors that will sell us is – which we can trust.
#7. Can you get me your Product / Service expresso?
Next, your Prospects will ask about the speed of delivery of goods or services. To create credibility, they are going to need to see your results. If they cant get it –as soon as they want it- they will not feel compelled to buy. So your challenge here is to give a compelling reason why someone should purchase from you and get it asap vs waiting longer than they’d like. Whether you’re working on a product or service, one of the key drivers of success will be your ability to get your them out to Prospect – in their time window. Questions: 1) How quickly do they need it delivered? 2) Will your Prospect be able to get it within their time frame or close to it?
#8. Why can’t you Ship / Deliver when I want it?
This question asks about your internal system regarding the shipment and/or delivery of your products and/or services. If you ask this question yourself, you will start analyzing the biggest obstacles when it comes to timely delivery. So, your job will be to remove or reduce the obstacles – to ensure that your Customers will get their needs met as quickly as possible. The questions you need to ask are:
- What’s your internal process for shipping goods and delivering services?
- How long does it take from the moment you receive a request to the moment you deliver?
- What are the biggest obstacles to making it faster?
Reduce or eliminate #1, then work on #2, etc.
#9. Do I need to pay extra for prompt Shipment?
Will I need to pay extra for prompt Shipment or Delivery of Services? I don’t see the cost included in the price. When included, shipping is part of the item’s price, so that means the price is higher – when it isn’t included. If you include prompt delivery – as an added value for your products and/or services – you must highlight why the benefits of your product and/or service are worth the price difference between free & cost added delivery.
#10. Why are your Products and/or Services sometimes late?
If your Customers aren’t getting what they want when they want it, you need to figure out why, then find the solution/s. The first step to solving your problem is to understand what is causing your late delivery. How can you improve the efficiency of your supply chain? How can you bring your operations back to the basics? This is why we see a lot of focus on technology, logistics, & automation in today’s marketplace. These are all great ways to reduce costs and free up your time. But you’ll always struggle – if your supply chain is inefficient or not optimized.
#11. What’s best way to Communicate with Prospects?
We communicate differently depending on the purpose of our communication and the method we use. But today’s traditional means of communicating with Prospects isn’t always working.
How? We can send messages through phone calls, Emails, text messages, letters, video chats, and we can even face-to-face – if possible. You need to be present on all those channels – especially the most popular ones. You can easily add additional information about your Website or Blog on these Social Media networks to confirm your credibility.
#12. Why aren’t I getting a better response to my Communication?
When you start getting critical messages from your Customers or Prospects, the last thing that you need to do is ignore them. You’re not demonstrating that you care when you don’t respond to their messages. You don’t want to use the word “no” when someone asks for something. Instead, you should use phrases like “let me check into that,” “I’ll let you know,” or “I’ll get back to you.” In such a way, you’re being polite by letting the person who contacted you know – you’re looking into the request. It also shows that you really value their time and are willing to put the matter at the top of your priority list.
#13. Why is your Guarantee not longer and/or better?
One of the most common reasons why a guarantee isn’t working is because he or she doesn’t communicate it effectively enough. Many companies assume that their guarantee will act as a source of protection for their Prospects, but it’s actually an obligation of theirs to their future Customers. It’s easy to get caught up in what’s for sale and forget to focus on the guarantee. Make sure your guarantee is clear, specific, & credible.
#14. Why can’t I easily Order from you?
Most of the time, Prospects can’t order the things they want, because they don’t know where to start. So, if you have a product and/or service people can’t easily find & order, they’ll probably give up. Your “Call to Action” is a big deal. There are a lot of small changes you can make to it – to make it more effective. But one of the most important things to consider when making a Call to Action is to keep it consistent throughout all of your marketing materials. Many Prospects may think that a physical store is the only way for them to purchase your product, but this is simply not true. Today, more Customers are purchasing products online than ever before, and the trend will continue to grow. Here are four reasons why it makes sense for your business to offer an online presence:
- 1) Most people want to buy from businesses that are easy to do business with.
- 2) User will buy your products or services even if they don’t know you, if they confident about your presentation.
- 3) You get more buying when you provide convenient ordering methods like phone, Email, online or text.
- 4) Most Buyers don’t want to be bothered by the hassle of visiting a physical store, if they feel confident with the online presentation.
#15. Is it easy to Order from you?
A key reason why Customers stick with certain brands is – they’re easy to order – they know what’s going to happen when they buy a particular product and/or service. When a Prospect is considering ordering from you – what is the process? 1) creating a new account, 2) checking your available products and/or services, 3) choosing, 4) placing orders (including payment method) & 5) getting info on expected delivery. (Can they ask you if you can modify current Products and/or Services (P/S) or produce significantly different P/S?) Can they check they check status of their orders? Do you notify when Product ships or Service is available? Do you also notify of Delivery? Remember that the more steps in your ordering process will bring you less revenue – so try to simplify.
#16. Are you continually Improving – Products, Services & Systems?
You should have been improving your products and/or services continuously. So what is stopping you from continuing to improve? A business can never be perfect, because it is constantly evolving. Use the 80/20 Rule. Be happy with at least 80% of your Goal, because the other 20% is going to cost too much and is too hard to achieve. What are the things that you can do to help improve your business and increase the quality of your products and/or services? Ask your current Customers, Advisors and/or Mentor for feedback.
#17. Are you developing new Products and/or Services to meet new needs?
Almost all Products and/or Services have a Life Cycle. When they’re new, they meet the needs of the market then. But over time – Technology, Social Media, etc. – may make them out-dated and sales will fade. You need to be doing Market Research to find what problems the prospective Customer want solved or other things they want in the future. Do a SWOT analysis to determine your direction. What are your Strengths? What your Weakness? (Competitors) What Opportunities could you take advantage of? What are the Threats you may face? Complex Tech & Trends, Legal, Competition, Cost of Development, Security, Stealth, Marketing, & Social Media.
#18. Do you know what my Real Expectation is for your company?
Real expectations are not the same as stated expectations. When asked what their expectations of your company are, companies tend to give what they think their Prospects wants to hear. Your Prospects expect to find a certain level of quality, reliability, & performance from your product or service, but you don’t know exactly what that expectation is.
Knowing your Prospects expectations of your business should start with a simple question: What do your Prospects want? There are two key ways to answer this question:
- 1) through your own observations and
- 2) by asking your Prospects directly.
Observation means talking to them directly, hearing what they say about their experiences and how they feel about your company. The best observation methods are those that are informal & unassuming. On the other side, asking is simply talking with your Prospects and finding what their expectations from you really are.
#19. Why is your Company the best for me?
It’s a simple question to answer. Whether or not you should answer this question depends on how long you have spent thinking about how you want to position your company. If you truly believe your company is the best for this Prospect, then it is the only one. Prospects are usually fairly smart. They understand the difference between a company that makes their lives better and proves real value to them !!!
#20. Are you Communicating, so that I understand?
If you’re using terms that Prospect doesn’t understand, then it’s really hard to get them to understand what you are offering to them. So, ensure your communication is clear, concise, & engaging. But if you don’t communicate so that the Prospect’s understand, how can you expect them to fully listen to what you have to say? When you speak in their level, you let them know that they’re at an equal level and that you value them as people – as much as they value you. People will respond better if you use communication they understand. And even if they don’t fully understand, they will have a good idea of what you’re trying to communicate and will be able to make a decision. Usually, in your favor !!!
Comments: Do you know any other Questions – that your Prospects might ask?
fm Entre-in-a-Box 10/22 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz
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