Many salespeople are afraid to ask potentially deal-breaking questions upfront. They think that these questions should be avoided until they know the prospect is ready to buy (and that it won’t matter because they have already made up their mind). What happens when you ask an important question at the end of the proposal process? If the answer to the question is in fact a deal-breaker, you’ve simply wasted both your prospect’s time and your own.
So what do I mean when I refer to a “deal-breaking” question? I’m talking about questions like, “How are the utilities metered and billed? Do the tenants pay directly for their energy usage?” or “Would you be able to be shut down this facility for a day during the installation process?” Perhaps your prospect would be fine shutting down the building during the installation process; however, if their building MUST remain operable 24/7, it’s best to know that immediately. If you ask these tough questions upfront, believe me, they’re not rapport-busters. They are time-savers, and your prospect will appreciate the fact that you asked them before getting too far into the sales process.
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