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102 of 103 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Socratic Questions for Solution Selling, July 22, 2000
This review is from: Socratic Selling: How to Ask the Questions That Get the Sale (Hardcover)
Most salespeople are trained to give a spiel, answer objections, try to close, and keep closing. This book argues that that approach will not be very productive. The book argues that the customer expects this to be a buying experience with the customer in charge. The standard sales approach is primarily annoying to the customer. First, I should share with you that I spent three years at Harvard Law School where almost all classes used the Socratic teaching method. From that experience, I can certainly tell you that being asked hard Socratic questions is tough on the person answering the questions. So I was immediately taken by this book's emphasis on asking easy-to-answer Socratic questions that would help the person think through their own issues. The Socratic method is simply a way of asking questions that permits the answerer to develop her/his own point of view. It is intended to be helpful, but it can feel like being put on the spot unless the questions are very easy. (An example of an easy question is "What is the worst experience you have had in buying these products in the past?") (An example of a hard question is "What would it take for you to buy from me today?" asked in the first 2 minutes of the meeting.) Mr. Daley reports on a survey with 300 experienced salespeople and 400 buyers. They agreed that the main problem with salespeople is that they talk too much. In response, Mr. Daley advocates a system of active listening (80 percent of the time), interspaced with questions designed to help the customer (rather than manipulate the customer). I think he really has something here. I thought back to my most successful sales meetings with consulting clients, and essentially these meetings contained all of the elements described here. Here's an overview of the suggested process: 1-explain what you've prepared to discuss 2-invite the customer to speak about his/her interests in that subject 3-offer an immediate benefit for this sharing (such as being willing to direct your comments to the customer's needs as just expressed) 4-ask for more detail about what the customer says 5-check for urgency and locate potential deadlines 6-find out what is bothering them the most in this area 7-find out what motivates them the most to do something in this area 8-summarize what they have said 9-get the customer's agreement with the summary 10-make a recommendation 11-answer the customer's questions and objections about your recommendation 12-create appropriate closes for the customer's needs. Three Socratic principles are proposed: 1-Always have and show respect for the customer (especially by active listening) 2-Help the customer think (the book has questions to help you do that) 3-Help the customer to make a decision (the book has more questions to help in this area, as well). I think that virtually any salesperson can master this approach within 3 months if practiced diligently. I also suspect that your sales will improve if you do, especially if your customers have problems that they need you to help them solve. The larger the economic value of your sale, the better this approach should work. It should be most helpful in selling intangibles like services. Good luck in overcoming your misconception stall about how to sell!
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28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Overrated and a disappointment, January 24, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Socratic Selling: How to Ask the Questions That Get the Sale (Hardcover)
I'v long been a student of questioning techniques and this book was a disappointment and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. Questions are critical tools in sales -- but there are much better books on the use of questions than this book --which is light on technique and long on story. I recommend Tom Hopkin's classic "How to Master the Art of Selling" for a great exposition about the use of different types of questions (open, closed, etc.). The best book I've ever read on selling technique is "Unlimited Selling Power: How To Master Hypnotic Selling Skills" by Donald Moine for this reason: 55% of all communication is non-verbal (body language)
38% is how you say it (tone, rate, pitch) which leaves a whopping 7% verbal (magic words) You are only using 7% of your ammunition with verbal techniques.
I wouldn't choose this book to learn about the 7%. One of the best questions you can ask at the start of a selling interview is: WHAT IS YOUR OUTCOME FOR OUR MEETING TODAY? and one of the best questions to find out what your prospect wants the product to do for them is: LET'S SUPPOSE IT'S ONE YEAR DOWN THE ROAD, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED FOR YOU TO KNOW THIS WAS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU? and to find out why someone is not wanting to buy your product or service is a personal favorite I made up: What's not there for you? Try these and will begin to tune into your customer's true reality -- not your perceived reality of him or her.
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Are you tired of losng sales and not knowing why?, April 1, 2002
This review is from: Socratic Selling: How to Ask the Questions That Get the Sale (Hardcover)
Do you find it hard to get customers to let you in on their decision making process? I found the ideas in this book very helpful both in and out of sales situations. It helped me learn to listen to people a lot better; perhaps it can be as helpful to you?
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