Asking good questions
Whoever asks the questions leads the conversation. Good questions tell you what the customer wants, what worries them and how much they’re willing to pay.
Closed and open questions
Closed (yes or no)“Are you interested?” “Do you like it?” They give little information and it’s easy to say no.
Open“What will you use it for?” “What worries you most about buying a used car?” They get the other person talking.
Questions that work
- “What made you start looking for this now?”
- “What have you tried before and what didn’t you like?”
- “What would have to happen for you to say it was a good buy?”
- “Who else decides with you?” (parents, partner)
- “What budget did you have in mind?”
Example with a car:
Bad: “Do you like the car?” → “Yes, well…”
Good: “What will you mainly use it for?” → “Commuting, 80 km a day.”
→ Now you know fuel economy and reliability matter to them. Talk about that.
Bad: “Do you like the car?” → “Yes, well…”
Good: “What will you mainly use it for?” → “Commuting, 80 km a day.”
→ Now you know fuel economy and reliability matter to them. Talk about that.
Really listening
After asking, be quiet. Let them finish. Repeat in your own words what they said (“So what worries you is it being expensive to run, right?”). People buy from whoever makes them feel understood.