How to ask high-impact questions
When to use impact questions?
When a potential customer has already expressed interest in purchasing your product or service, impact questions are most effective. It’s crucial for you to demonstrate the value you offer that might not be accessible through basic research because many buyers conduct extensive research before choosing the best products for their businesses. Impact questions can provide clarity in the purchasing process because the variety of solutions a buyer encounters when doing research can be overwhelming. When a customer has looked at several options but is still trying to decide which one will best meet their specific needs, impact questions can be useful.
What are impact questions?
Closed-ended, open-ended, and impact questions are frequently posed by salespeople. Standard questions that don’t require a follow-up conversation include closed- and open-ended ones. Impact questions are those that prompt more reflection and deliberation, usually leading to a more in-depth discussion. Effective impact questions can help you forge an emotional connection with a prospect and their business in addition to eliciting thoughtful responses from a potential customer.
Impact questions not only help a prospect reveal specifics about any issues they may be having, but they also demonstrate your aptitude for probing. For instance, a well-crafted impact question can highlight your empathy, industry expertise, and business savvy. You can connect with a potential customer and perhaps forge long-lasting professional relationships by demonstrating to them that you comprehend their issues and any possible emotions they may be experiencing.
Benefits of using impact questions
Here are some advantages of asking an prospective buyer impact questions:
15 impact questions to ask during a sales process
The following 15 impact questions can help you learn more about a prospect’s needs:
1. What might the impact be on your business if you dont fix this problem immediately, and can you afford to take the associated risks?
This inquiry enables a potential client to think about how a problem might affect their future. Since the majority of business owners and other potential buyers place value on security, asking them if they can afford to take risks or if they feel secure will not solve the problem. Introduce your product or service as something that can eliminate their feelings of risk and insecurity as the next possible step in this line of questioning.
2. Whats stopping you from addressing these problems today?
This inquiry frequently prompts potential buyers to think about the reasons why they might put off finding a solution to their problems. They may assess the risk of needlessly extending a problem, which gives you the opportunity to act as a trusted advisor in finding a solution. It’s critical to emphasize that you’re not pressuring a potential customer to choose, but that it might be beneficial to think about options.
3. Are these problems causing you to spend time away from your family?
This is an emotional question for many buyers. It’s usually best to wait until you and a prospect have spoken a few times and built up some rapport before posing a question like this. This can be a great question to show that you care about them as a person rather than just a sales prospect once you have become acquainted with them. You can create lasting, mutually beneficial relationships by asking these kinds of questions.
4. What could you accomplish if you werent experiencing these problems?
This inquiry enables a prospective client to think through the opportunities that a potential remedy for their issues might present. It can also assist you in figuring out how a buyer envisions their ideal future and how you can assist them in achieving their objectives.
5. If we fixed this problem today, what would success look like a year from now?
When responding to this query, a customer might picture a situation where they approve the use of your solution. In addition, your sales tactics don’t pressure them into making a choice or make them feel hurried. Simply by using this question, you can show potential customers how your product has solved their problems so they might buy your product.
6. I understand this is a common issue in your industry, so have you explored how other businesses are solving it?
When engaging in a sales process with a prospect, it’s frequently beneficial to demonstrate your expertise in a specific industry. You might be able to highlight your interactions with similar businesses and the ways in which your products have benefited other people in similar circumstances.
7. Whats the smallest change you could make right now that would have the biggest impact?
In many cases, salespeople approach potential customers with solutions rather than the other way around. With the help of this query, a customer can outline their ideal resolution, which you can then contrast with your own. Allowing customers to speak and discuss their wants may be consoling to them because they may feel overburdened by salespeople’s requests.
8. A problem like this often affects multiple facets of businesses, so could you tell me what impact it has on other departments?
This is another question that can highlight your expertise. This enables a seller to focus their solutions on a single department, which might help a customer picture what you can provide them with without giving them an overly general sales pitch.
9. What change would you experience in your personal life if we fixed this problem?
Another sensitive query, it frequently necessitates some level of familiarity before being posed. It can shed light on the broad effects a problem might have on a company and the people who make it up. For instance, you can offer your solution as a way to reduce your prospect’s overtime work if they are working extra hours at work because they lack the necessary tools to resolve their problem.
10. Im familiar with the company youre currently relying on to solve this issue, so why do you think they arent presenting the right solution?
This also highlights your genuine curiosity while demonstrating your industry knowledge and expertise. It’s essential to be aware of the solutions your potential customer has already tried so you can present yours in a unique way.
11. With businesses like yours, I often hear about problems with staffing, overhead and internal communication, so are any of those issues affecting you?
This query could reveal how a buyer perceives your company’s business procedures. You exhibit professional knowledge and expertise in their industry when you are aware of issues a prospect might be facing without them directly informing you. Many customers who have heard several pitches may find this to be a simple question that they can appreciate.
12. What other issues are preventing you from reaching your goals, and how do those problems make you feel?
If your product or service doesn’t address a specific problem but might for a different one, this question might be helpful. For instance, a potential customer might not think that your service can address their problems with business communication. They may, however, be working inefficiently, which gives you another opportunity to position your product as the remedy for that particular problem.
13. I know issues like this can be incredibly frustrating, so is this problem making you and your colleagues unhappy at work?
Instead of just trying to appeal to each potential buyer individually, this type of question enables you to show that you care about the prospects’ business as a whole. This question may provide insight into the workings of a potential employer’s organization, and they might appreciate that you’re thinking about the community they’ve built.
14. Other than money, what are these problems costing you?
This query can demonstrate your compassion and how you treat clients outside of financial discussions. People’s time and energy may be spent on issues, so taking that into account could personalize a discussion and foster rapport.
15. What do you believe I can improve upon with future sales conversations?
This gives you the chance to emphasize that you don’t want to bother a prospect with too many questions and that you value their time if you think they won’t buy your product. This might also give you insightful criticism on how to make your future pitches more persuasive, and it might result in further sales with the prospect if a different problem surfaces.
FAQ
How do you answer an impact question?
Answer the impact query by describing how you assess and rank tasks for completion. You could say, “I am very good at managing time and projects, and I can pick it up very quickly, so there are no gaps or hiccups in your performance.” “.
What are high value questions?
A question that adds value to the process is referred to as a high-value question. The best high-value question is one that benefits both you and the prospect or client.
What is a benefit driven question?
- Do we need to have this conversation with any other decision-makers?
- What would your ideal solution look like if time or money were not restrictions?
- “Why is this a priority for you now?”
- What difficulties do you anticipate encountering while attempting to buy the product?
