Here are a 21.5 signals (questions) to look for:
- Questions about availability or time. “Are these in stock?” “How often do you receive new shipments?”
- Questions about delivery. “How soon can someone be here?” “How much notice do I have to give you?”
- Specific questions about rates, price, or statements about affordability. “How much does this model cost?” “What is the price of this fax machine?” “I don’t know if I can afford that model.”
- Any questions or statements about money. “How much money would I have to put down to get this?”
- Positive questions about you or your business. “How long have you been with the company?” “How long has your company been in business?”
- Wanting something repeated. “What was that you said before about financing?” “Tell me about the —– again.”
- Statements about problems with previous vendors. “Our old vendor gave us poor service. How quickly do you respond to a service call?”
- Questions about features and options (What will it or you do?)“Is the sorter standard or optional?”
- Questions about productivity. “How many copies per month is the machine rated for?”
- Questions about quality, guarantee, or warranty. “How long is this under warranty?” “How long will this last?”
- Questions about qualifications. (yours or the company’s)“Can all of your people answer questions on the phone?”
- Specific positive questions about the company. “What other products do you carry?”
- Specific product or service questions. “How does the manual feed operate?” “Do you select the person or do I?”
- Specific statements about ownership of your product or service. “Would you provide paper each month automatically?” “Will you come by each month to pick up my accounting?” “Suppose I like her and want her to work for me full-time?”
- Questions to confirm unstated decision or seeking support. “Is this the best way for me to go?” “What would you do?”
- Wanting to see a sample or demo again. “Could I see the fabric samples again?”
- Asking about other satisfied customers. “Who else is using your product now?” “Who are some of your customers?”
- Asking for a reference. “Could I contact someone you did temp work for using Excel or Word?” “Do you have a list of satisfied customers?”
- Making buying noises. “I didn’t know that.”.” Oh really.”. “That’s interesting.” “That’s in line with what we’ve been doing.”
- Asking for a test or sample. “Can I try this for a few days?” “Can you send me a sample I can test?”
- Asking chicken questions. “Suppose I buy it and it doesn’t work? “Suppose I buy it and it’s not the right size?” “Suppose I buy it and it doesn’t work in our office environment?”
21.5Your ability to convert the signal into a sale.Every one of these buying signals (questions) can be turned into a closing question that will lead to a faster sale – if you do it right. Recognizing a buying signal is critical to your success as a salesperson. You will go past the sale if you don’t. And many do.
One “ask” I did not put in the list, but should be mentioned, is when the buyer asks you, “What’s the next step?” This is so blatant it’s not really right to consider it a signal – it’s more of a hit in the face with a sledge-hammer.
