Question and listening techniques IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION

Question- and listening techniques. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 1

Question- and listening techniques. You will be best understood if you send in the ”recipient's channel”. Therefore It is important that you do so, as efficiently as possible, and important that you master these two disciplines Question and Listening Technique. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 2

Questions techniques ? IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 3

Question techniques. Depending on what the intended target of the questions you ask, there are different types of questions you can use, and with great effect if you are skilled in it. It is very important that you always are aware of what the goal is with the questions you ask. Question types can be divided into two categories • Open questions and closed questions. . Let us look at these two categories and when to use them. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 4

Question techniques. – Open Questions Information seeking questions You use them to seek information. (Who. . ? , What. . ? , Where. . ? , Which. . ? ) • The information-seeking questions, also called the short. Wh words are particularly well suited during the phase where you establish the needs of the customer. • When you ask these questions, you have no influence on the direction in which the answer goes. The advantage of this is that he or she is free to reply and is not influenced in any particular direction. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 5

Question techniques. – Open Questions Specific questions How. . ? , When. . ? , What. . ? • Used typically in response to an information-seeking questions. This may be to clarify the first answer given by the customer. And there by get a more specific answer. Example: Sales assistant: What kind of sofa are you looking for? (3 seater, corner, chaise long …. )(fabric, leather) Customer: 3+2 seater or a corner sofa in fabric. Sales assistant: How does your living room look today? Cust………… IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 6

Question techniques. – Open Questions Explanatory questions Why. . ? • Used if you want the customer to explain why they want for example a 3+2 seater instead of a corner sofa. • You have to be very careful when you use these questions, if you put the pressure on the wrong word the customer could find the question negative or aggressive. • In most cases it would be better to ask the question as an information seeking: what are the reason for…. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 7

Question techniques. – Closed Questions Categorical questions Have. . ? Can. . ? Is. . ? Will. . ? • Gives a ”yes” or ”no” answer and perhaps sometimes a maybe. The purpose is to get a acceptance from the customer. Be careful when you use it, sometimes we use it were it would have been better to use an open question. • You can with great success use it to control a very talking person. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 8

Question techniques. – Closed Questions Lead questions You can properly agree upon. . ? Don't you also think that. . ? • You use it too get, for you, a positive answer ex. An accept on a detail. Remember If you use them too much, the customer will think that you are manipulating him/her. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 9

Question techniques. – Closed Questions Alternativ questions Will it suit you best on Thursday or on Friday. . ? Will you pay the hole amount now or 50% and the rest at delivery. . ? • The question is asked so that the customer can choose between two, for you, positive answers (yes or yes). • It is very effective when you have to make an agreement with the customer, or when you speak too someone who has difficulties making a decision, because you only give them two choices. In this case it is much easier too decide between two solutions, rather then have too decide ”yes” or ”no”. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 10

Question techniques. Important too remember • When you ask a question, you most never ask more then one at a time. The customer will always answer the last question you asked, and there properly where a reason, why you asked the first question first, because it was the most importent question other wise you wouldn't have asked it first. • It is also important when you ask a question, you wait for the answer, although it sometimes can feel like forever before you get the answer. • When you have asked a question too a customer, that you answer yourself – You have lost! IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 11

Listening techniques IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 12

Listening techniques. There is a reason why you were born with two ears and one mouth. It is because we have to listen twice as much as we talk! The good sales assistant knows that. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 13

Listening techniques. If you are a good listener some of your skills are: • Good too have eye contact with the customer. • A good body language. • Show interest for what the customer says. • Take notice of the answers also what's been said between the lines. • Have a positive attitude towards the answers. • Take notes if possible. • Be open too what is said, forget your prejudices. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 14

Listening techniques. Remember Nobody likes, when nobody is listening too what they have too say, and that they a being interrupted when they speak. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 15

Listening techniques. Communication barriers • Whether you are a good at question techniques or listening techniques, then the communication in some cases can go wrong, due to other things that could have been avoided. Therefore You most pay attention to the barriers there can be in the communication. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 16

Listening techniques. - Communication barriers Physical • Bad placement of tables and chairs. • Noise from the outside. • Interruptions, ex. Telephone ringing, colleague etc. • Bad habits, ex. ”Clicking” with the pen. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 17

Listening techniques. - Communication barriers Psychological • Too close together – “the intimate zone” is typically 80 cm to 1 meter for most people. • Wrong use of humour. • Discussion with the customer. Because of your knowledge, in these cases, you will probably win. But you will without doubt loose the confidence by the customer. • Indiscretion. • Sloppy or improper clothes / make up. IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 18

Listening techniques. - Communication barriers Language • Vocabulary, eg. foreign words or technical terms • Too long sentences / statements (can seem like you are trying to cover something) • Swearword and sarcasm (Banned – Banned - Banned) • Dialect IDdesign Academy MORE EDUCATION – MORE KNOWLEDGE – MORE SALES Question and listening techniques. 19