How to make asking for the order
seamless, invisible, and indiscernible.
As
professional salespeople we know that everything we do
is directly or indirectly related to the sales process,
but what about from the buyer’s perspective?
Here is
an observation that I believe to be true for the
exchange between buyer and seller for many salespeople,
but not all.
From
the buyer’s perspective, when you are in a sales
interview everything you do prior to asking for the
order is explaining. Everything you do after asking for
the order is closing.
Many of
the top salespeople would disagree with this observation
because for them the transition point of asking for the
order is: seamless, invisible, and indiscernible.
The
question is: why are they able to make agreement to move
ahead such a natural part of the transaction?
There
are many reasons, but here is a major one. They have
used questions throughout the interview to gain
information and confirm agreement.
For
example, think about the advantage the voluntary
benefits salesperson has who asks this question early in
the employer interview.
“Do you
have any employee funded plans now?”
The
answer to this question reveals a wealth of information
for guiding the interview to a successful conclusion.
Try
this; memorize the 5 questions below for use in the
interview with the employer, and in your next
appointment, make it a point to ask all 5 questions
before you reach the decision stage.
In 2008
if you do nothing different but learn and ask five
strategic questions in every employer interview, and or,
five strategic employee questions in enrollment
interviews, I feel safe in saying that you will have
justified the $49.00 annual investment to be a member of
the Workplace Benefits Association.
5 Employer-Interview Questions
(Ask
these questions professionally in a non-threatening or
intimidating manner before you ask for a decision. You are
substantially ahead of the game if you know the answers
to these questions.)
-
“Do
you have any employee funded plans now?”
-
“What do your employees like and dislike about the
current benefit plans?”
-
“Do
you agree that for some employees, the benefits you
provide to them here at work are 100% of their
financial security?”
-
“Have any of your employees or have you known of any
families that have gone through this type of
experience (financial loss)?”
-
“How have you structured enrollments in the past?”
5 Employee-Interview Questions
(Ask
these questions professionally in a non-threatening or
intimidating manner before you ask for a decision. You are
substantially ahead of the game if you know the answers
to these questions.)
-
“Do
you have any questions so far?”
-
“Have you known of any families that have gone
through this type of experience (financial loss)?”
-
"Do you
see how this provides a solution to the problem of
(money at retirement) (cash to pay unexpected medical
bills and non-medical expenses) (income to replace your
paycheck when you are disabled) (a financial legacy for
your family if you should die prematurely)?”
-
“What are the alternatives to what I am showing you
here today?”
-
"Is
the premium for this within your budget?"
Ask all
five questions in your next interview and write me and
tell me your outcome.
Sincerely,
Walt Podgurski, CLU, CES (wpodgurski@aol.com)
P.S.
Here is one last example to help draw a comparison for
you. Take the presentation you were taught in training
school and think about delivering it word for word and
then asking: “may I enroll you in this
coverage?” Now think about that same exact presentation
with some strategic questions and a two-way dialogue
mixed in. Which is better?
Be a
pro; create your own strategic questions and build them
into your presentation.
