So you didn't get the follow-up meeting with that recent prospect? You asked all the right questions and got the answers you needed to qualify them. You had their budget, knew their goals and needs, and their timeframe to make the decision. You knew who the decision maker was, were keenly aware of your competitors that were in play, and felt you had the perfect solution to meet their needs.

So why didn't it work out?

While you may be asking good questions, you may not be asking the right questions. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share three critical types of questions from sales expert Stu Schlackman that you need to ask to build momentum and ensure that you get the next meeting.

1. What are the issues? To build the critical trusting relationship, you need to understand what's really going on. Ask "What issues are you facing that most need to be resolved?" Do not start by asking what type of solution they are looking for or how much they will spend; instead, aim to learn where they are experiencing pain? How bad is the pain, and how long has it been going on? The best sales people dig deep when it comes to understanding customer issues. You can further understand the pain by asking "why" questions. When you ask "why," you're bringing the customer into the past, which allows them to elaborate on what happened in the first place.

2. What is the cause? Ask "How long have you been having this issue? Is it getting better or worse? Do you have any thoughts on why?" These probing questions will demonstrate that you are truly interested in understanding their situation to the fullest extent. It means that you are building credibility with the customer and showing them that you care. This approach takes the conversation to a better level of understanding and often they will even discover something they hadn't seen before. Helping your customers understand the cause of their issue helps you understand which solutions to offer—when appropriate— and helps them to think through the situation.

3. What is the impact? Impact questions help to create a sense of urgency about the issue. Now that you more fully understand the problem and how it was caused, it's time to talk about the possible impact on the business. Ask them, "How do you think this issue is having an impact on productivity, customer service, revenues or operating expenses?" When you can help them understand the impact, they are one step closer to taking action in your direction.

When the customer sees the impact of their issues in multiple areas, they can start to create a viable solution. You can start to help them see the future in a positive light by asking "what" questions. "What" questions focus on the possibilities. Now you can work with the customer as a partner since you have a solid understanding of their issues, how they came about and how they're affecting the business.

Prepare to ask questions that your customers will pay attention to and you will be much closer to building the kind of relationships that will lead to more closed sales.

Source: Stu Schlackman is a sales expert, accomplished speaker and the author of Four People You Should Know and Don't Just Stand There, Sell Something. With over 25 years of success in the sales landscape, Schlackman provides his clients and audiences with the wisdom, techniques and practical advice to compete and win in business and in life.