Open questions are the kind of questions that our clients can't respond to with a simple "yes" or "no". These "yes" or "no" questions are called closed questions, and look something like this:
1. "I would like to send you some more info on this; can I fax it to you?"
2. "Do you want me to go ahead and set up a meeting between you and our Sales Rep for Thursday?"
3. "Sir, are you interested to know that over 50% of your industry leaders are using xyz?"
These closed questions can all be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", which is fine when the answer is "yes", but shuts us out when the answer is "no".
Also notice how these questions all include the words "can" or "do" (others include "will" and "shall")…
Open questions on the other hand tend to leave out words like "can" and "do" and instead make use of words such as "where", "when", "how", "why", "would" and "which".
Open questions also provide two alternatives for the client to think about, which also enables you to learn more about your specific client.
For example:
1. "I have some more info on this I'd like to send it to you, would email or fax suit you better?"
2. "Is it better for our Sales Rep to meet with you on Wednesday or Thursday - and where would be most convenient for you?"
3. "Sir, I'm told that more than 50% of your industry leaders use xyz, I have my own theory on this, but why do you think they do?"
With open questions like the ones used in the examples above we're able to provide two alternatives (email or fax; Wednesday or Thursday), both of which help us reach our ultimate goal.
Even when neither of the choices are viable options for your client, open questions can help create a dialogue between yourself and the client that allows you to explore their wants and needs more thoroughly - which as a salesperson is the most important information you can have.
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