Page 72 - Training 2019
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Objectives of open-ended questions
Here is an illustration of an open-ended query:
“What was the greatest thing that happened to you last year?”
Most likely, your potential client will say more than one word to respond to this
question.
Compare with:
“Did anything special happen to you last year?”
In this case, the reply will be either “Yes” or “No”. It is unlikely that your potential
client will say more.
An open-ended sales question is usually a probing question aimed at getting a
prospect to talk more about his business, his problems, and his wants.
When to ask open-ended sales questions?
As you might expect from the name itself, these questions don’t have any specific
answer. You’ll use them to initiate a discussion and discover more about a prospect,
especially during the nurturing and closing stages.
For instance, here’s an open-ended question:
“What do you think will be your biggest challenge this year?”
Compare that with this question:
SALES TRAINING – IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES 8
Updated - 24 June 2019
