A common myth – the best salespeople are great talkers first and foremost. Most people have heard that one yet it is simply not true. The ability to communicate effectively involves speaking and listening – it is difficult to find strength in both of these abilities.
ManageSmarter.com offers The Power of Questions which is on topic for this discussion with a good analogy:
The most effective way to control the sale is to ask more questions.
Selling is like driving a car: The person who asks the questions sits in the driver’s seat and controls the direction of the sale, while the passenger€”the person who answers the questions€”goes along for the ride. Unfortunately, many sales people feel that they are selling when they respond to their prospect’s questions. They mistakenly believe this will demonstrate how smart or knowledgeable they are and will help their prospect make a buying decision.
Objective listening ability is one of the most important skills for any sales position. Beyond that ability, asking the right question is just as important. The ability to listen is of little value if the question did not prompt the right information from the prospect.
Instead, your reps need to ask high-quality questions that will make your prospect think and will demonstrate your company’s knowledge and expertise.
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Here are three tips to developing good sales questions to pass on to your team:
1. Determine your key objective.
2. Consider the person you will be speaking with.
3. Use “what” questions.
You can read the article for the author’s specific suggestions for each tip (especially point #3). It is well worth the read.