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Eight Questions to Ask a Potential Client:
Closing the Sale When You're Selling to Another Business

When someone interested in your product or service contacts you, closing the sale should be easy, right? They're interested. They took the initiative. But all too often, for some reason, the sale falls through. Closing a sale is the hardest (and most important) part of the selling process. Here are some questions you can ask potential clients to get the ball rolling and to keep it moving in the direction you want it to go.

1. How did you get started doing what you do?

It may seem off-topic, but making a sale depends on building relationships and rapport. Take a little time to talk to your prospect—get to know them better by getting them to talk about themselves. This may also help you see how to better meet their needs, and could result in a bigger sale.

2. What kinds of clients do you like to work with? OR What kinds of clients do you tend to attract?

This question is especially useful for marketers, but it's good to ask no matter your industry. If you're selling to a business, then knowing who they do business with will help you find ways to serve them better.

 

3. What expectations would like your clients to have of you? AND How can {insert your industry here} affect that?

Find out what kind of relationship they want to have with their clients. And then search for ways that you can help them build those relationships. By asking how your product or service can do that, you'll find out more about their expectations of you.

4. What are your goals for {insert your industry here}?

If you're in marketing, you want to know what they're marketing goals are. If you're a product management consultant, you need to know what goals they have for their different products. If you're in security, you need to know their security goals. It's so tempting in the business-to-business world to just describe what you offer…instead find out what your prospect needs. They'll appreciate you listening and you'll have the opportunity to provide them great service—good for referrals.

5. What kinds of strategies have you tried?

You need to know what they've done before. Background information will further help you to figure out how you can best meet their needs.

6. How did they work for you?

If they've tried something that's totally bombed, you don't want to propose doing it again…not unless you can tell them specifically what they did wrong and why your proposal will work.

7. What is your most important need regarding {your industry again}?

Find out their priorities. They'll become your priorities when you describe why you're the best one to solve their problems and meet their needs.

8. Can I send you…?

After all these questions, if you're not ready to make a verbal proposal right then and there and ask them if they are ready to move forward, then ask them if you can send them something. You may have a case study that closely parallels their situation. You may have a report that will help them decide just what they need. Or you may want to write up a proposal and estimate. By asking them if you can send them something—they will nearly always say yes—you help them become accustomed to saying yes to you. That will make it that much easier for them to say yes when you close the sale. The key to this is, you must follow up on what you send them. Otherwise you'll lose them.

By taking an approach that focuses on your prospect and their needs, you'll begin to build trust between you and your potential client. That trust will pay off by helping you close more sales and the time you spent listening to them will help you be certain that your new clients are happy clients.