Sales and Revenue
Better Sales Questions Start With the Job
Better sales questions start with the job the order has to do, not just the products on the list.
Ask the question that could change your recommendation.
A door quote can have a price beside every item and still miss what the customer needs. The product list tells you what they asked for. The job tells you what the order has to do.
That connection matters to me. I have worked in sales and helped expand door operations, so I know a yes from the buyer becomes a promise other people have to carry out.
You do not need to turn every quote into a long interview. In my sales keynote, the work follows three steps: Find the Real Need. Connect the Value. Agree on the Next Step.
Find the Real Need
I’d worked in the Georgia market my whole career before I moved to Texas. We were planning a door shop, and I asked how many containers of split jambs we were going to order. I was thinking about the door frames we’d always sold back in my market.
The local team told me they used flat jambs. That wasn’t what I was used to, and I’m glad they told me.
Thank goodness I asked the question before placing that purchase order of ten containers of split jambs… my tenure would have been pretty short at that job, if not.
You can know a product well and still have something to learn about where or how you’re selling it. I needed the people who knew that market to tell me what they used and guide me with their experience.
Before you quote or order, check the market and the job. A few questions help:
- What do customers in this market usually use?
- What does this job need first?
- Who will confirm the details before the order is released?
Those answers do not prove that you can meet the request. They tell you what to verify with the people who can confirm the product, preparation, and delivery plan.
That is useful selling. You are connecting the quote to the job it must serve.
Connect the Value
Explain the recommendation through the need the buyer gave you. Tell them what you heard, what you are checking, and when you will confirm it.
That shows the buyer that you heard them. It also makes the open work clear. You have not turned a request into a promise the team has yet to check.
A question loses its value when you ask it, nod, and give the same pitch anyway. Use the answer.
Agree on the Next Step
Before the conversation ends, name what needs checking, who will check it, and when you will come back with an answer you can support. Use current sources for product claims and the right people for timing.
On your next quote, ask one question about what the order has to make possible on the job. Then show the buyer how that answer shaped your advice.
That is where product knowledge starts to earn the customer’s trust.
