Questions you need to ask during your needs analysis

To help you close more deals and build lasting profitable customer relationships, try asking some of the following questions during your needs analysis:

1. Identify the intellectual problem with a lead-in question.

• What makes you think…?
• How do you select…?
• What’s most important to you about…?
• Where do you see…?
• How have you employed…?
• What has been your experience with…?

2. Develop an intellectual awareness about this problem.

• Can you tell me more about it?
• Could you be more specific?
• How long have you had this concern?
• What have you done to address it?
• How did that work out?

3. Identify the specific business impact of this problem.

• How has this problem impacted your organization?
• If you had to guess, what do you think this problem is costing your department / company / business / etc?
• What will happen if this problem continues?

4. Get emotional! Identify the specific personal impact of this problem.

• What impact does this problem have on your job / your staff?
• How important is this to you personally?
• What will happen if you don’t find a solution to this problem?
• Why is it so important?

Remember: your success is directly determined by the way you are perceived, and the amount of effort you put into your career. Changing any of those variables will have a huge impact on whether you succeed or fail.

After all, in good times or in bad, the type of sales person you choose to be is 100% up to you.

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