When you ask a question, pause immediately afterward. Pause until your client responds. Sometimes this will take 3-5 seconds, maybe longer.
Let the silence add some healthy pressure to the conversation. There’s a fine line here — between being awkward and being regarded as a professional salesperson.
Whatever you do, don’t be the first one to talk again after you’ve asked the question.
A deep exhale (e.g., ugh, hmm, hmph) or a one word response (e.g., Great, Okay, Alright, Interesting) do not qualify as a response from the client.
A short response like this is often a sign that the client feels the pressure and felt the need to say something (this is good). It also means that the client is still thinking. And you, as the salesperson, shouldn’t interrupt that thought process.
Wait until the client gives you a full and direct response to your question (if you’re asking for the sale, that response can only be one of two things: an objection, or a credit card number).
Don’t worry about waiting too long. I’ve waited so long on some calls that my client asks, Are you still there? And my response is always the same: Yes I’m here, I’m just listening.
Now, it’s also important that the question itself is crisp and clear. This is equally, if not more important than pausing after you’ve asked the question.
It’s similar to a famous person coming onto stage in front of an audience. Depending on how famous the person is, they can often stand on stage for 15-30 seconds in silence while the audience applauds. If a stranger comes onto the stage (like one of the sound technicians) and grabs the microphone, there would be crickets in the audience.
Your question needs to be like the famous person. It needs to be deserving of a response.
Here are the three main characteristics of a good question:
- Direct: short and to the point
- Clear: no umm’s or filler words
- Intelligent: it fits in the conversation
Bad question: Well, I mean, what do you think … umm … could we maybe get this started?
Good question: Awesome, do you have a credit card that I can put on file?
This works on both phone calls and emails. I always end my emails with a short question. It’s usually asking for times to hop on the phone.
Do you have a few times that you’re available to talk on the phone this Friday, February 7?
If a phone call doesn’t make sense, or I’m asking for someone’s advice. I use this question: What do you think?
The natural human response to a question is to answer. In this way, a question invites a reaction. And it’s important to ask for this reaction at the very end, when your client (or coworker) is either going to click onto the next email or click the reply button to answer your question.
The first step is realizing that questions are the key to sales. The second step is mastering how to ask questions.
Here are the two main takeaways:
- Pause after you ask a question.
- Make your questions direct, clear, and intelligent.