Want to learn the art of questioning? Do you often answer a question with a question? Does this make a difference to your conversion rate? Usually, the answer is yes. Asking questions increases your conversion rate and builds a rapport with your customer. This also ensures that the sale becomes their idea and not yours.

Active listening 

If you’re asking questions, you also need to ensure you’re actively listening. Ask questions about your customers work, business, children or hobbies, but always make sure you’re listening with sincere interest. You may find it even more helpful to note down some of the answers, such as their children’s names etc. Asking questions and listening helps to build a rapport and attaches importance to their conversation too. Additionally, if you’re asking questions, you’re remaining in control of the conversation. However, if you find yourself doing all the talking, you are no longer in control. Always keep in mind that the person asking questions sets the direction of the conversation. If you find the customer culminating the conversation and asking questions, make sure you answer their question with a question of your own. Ultimately, you should try to vary the questions you ask, as we all find the same questions monotonous after a while. Overall, questions can guide consumer interest, discover a need and give accurate information. 

Building rapport and qualifying questions

Not only do questions guide consumer interest, but they also discover a need and give accurate information. There are two types of questions, open-ended and closed questions. Open-ended questions are a great way to keep the customer involved in your conversation and are helping to find out what they need and more about themselves. Open-ended questions are great to help build rapport, find a need, discover a customer problem and help find the right solution. It can be useful to turn to the six key questions often used in the interview process in journalism. Who, what, where, when, why and how are the six key questions that can help your customer relationships. For example:

  • Who are you buying this for?
  • How often do you use this product?
  • What features did you expect this product to have?

These kinds of questions can yield a lot of information from your customer and can help you determine which product or service is best suited to them.

On the other hand, closed questions tend to result in one-word answers. These questions can be used to help gather information quickly, similar to a checklist. Using closed questions can also confirm a buying deal and help to confirm the sale. Questions help to encourage the customer to communicate, build a rapport, establish their needs, directs the conversation, diffuse tension and invite discussion. Learning the art of questioning and listening can be key to increasing your conversation rate and sets you on the right path to create continuing customer relationships.

If you’re looking to increase your conversion rate, seek advice from ActionCOACH today. Book a free discovery session over on our website.