Asking relevant questions during the course of a sales presentation has always been important in developing sales agent skills. However many agents have not developed the timing aspect of when to ask certain questions. Much like a comedian, timing is everything in a sales presentation.

Question: What is your advice to sales professionals so they can develop good timing skills?

Responses

RELEVANT is the key word and the question must be 1) open ended (cannot be asked by a Yes or No) and 2) relevant to the stage of the critical path you are in otherwise you may confuse the buyer. The key to timing your questions is for the professional salesperson to focus on the comments, body language and facial expressions of the buyer.

LISTEN TO THEIR COMMENTS and, if positive, tie the positive comment back to the buyers wants and needs he/she stated during the Discovery process. If the comment is negative, ask the powerful “Why” or “What” questions i.e. “That’s an interesting comment…why do you feel that way?” or “What is it about the wiz bang that bothers you?” Keeping them engaged will give you the clues you need to support or neutralize their comments so you can move forward with your Presentation, Wrap Up and Close.

WATCH THEIR BODY LANGUAGE. Understand if they pause and examine something in your home it shows interest of some sort in the object or feature. Again this is an opportunity to engage them through questioning their interest in the object they are examining. This gives you the clue to ask them “I notice that you are interested in the wiz bang…how will you use that in your new home?” or “How important is the wiz bang going to be in your decision to purchase a new home here today?” Many times they may not have spoken during the Discovery process about their desire to have a wiz bang in their new home however, now that they have seen it, the wiz bang may be very important in their purchasing decision.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND EYE MOVEMENTS are the window to the mind and soul of the buyer. It is human nature to show emotions via ones facial expressions, eye contact and eye movements. Obviously you do not want to glare at the buyer however you must respond to the buyer’s preference regarding eye contact. Bull, Tiger and Owl personalities generally will want max eye contact as they are assessing your honesty by reading your eyes. Lamb personalities will be very uncomfortable with eye contact until they develop a level of trust in you and your approach. Be particularly sensitive to facial expressions that change from smiling or neutral to sour or concerned as it signals a change in the receptive ability of the buyer to process your information. Should you detect a change you may want to ask “I notice that you seem a little concerned about something…what is it that may be concerning you?”

By continually observing the above indicators you will be able to determine when to ask questions and keep the buyer engaged in the sales process. This will set you apart from unskilled salespeople that are simply “Show and Tell” followed by “Next Please”.

If you would like to discuss other professional selling techniques and strategies please contact me at 281-481-0831 x 1. I always look forward to exchanging ideas with other true sale professionals. www.rfiehn.com

The question of timing is not so much that questions can be asked too soon nor too late throughout the course of the new home sales presentation, but not at all. I would prefer that the New Home $ales PROfessional err on the side of asking too many questions too soon, rather than asking too few too late.

Asking, listening, responding and asking some more throughout the normal course of inquisitive, empathic communication is the key to “timing.” As Covey states, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

First, start with the MINDSET that “NOW is the Time to Buy a New Home” and that “There’s ALWAYS a Reason to BUY RIGHT NOW, HERE, TODAY!” The $ales PROfessional’s sense of URGENCY will transfer to the buyer.

Second, where the concept of “timing” is also crucial is after asking a Closing Question. After asking for the sale, it is absolutely imperative to not say another word, no comments, explanations, opinions, or excuses. By not saying another word after asking a closing question, it allows the customer the time and space to think about and better yet, feel the possibility of new home ownership today.

Last, another area where timing is important is with Follow-up. I am a huge advocate of SAME DAY FOLLOW-UP! It is the best demonstration of unparalleled presale customer service. Unparalleled presale customer service leads to more return visitors faster and more converted sales. I guarantee it.

Anyone that is a performance artist, like comedians, actors on a stage or new home salespeople, needs to develop their timing and improvisation skills. And like most other skills, learning timing is not an isolated event or skill. Timing ability depends on learning other skills first. Who are you as a salesperson? That is first. What is your style? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your preferences? How would you describe yourself as a salesperson?

Once you understand yourself and your strengths and weaknesses, then you can begin to analyze your selling style. Is your intention to help the customer? Is your intention only to sell without regard for the process? Are you aggressive? Are you a counselor salesperson? Do you lead the customer? Do you control? How many questions do you ask? Do you talk more than listen? Or vice versa?

The third step in the process is how comfortable you are with your customer conversation. Like an actor on stage, you need to know what you are saying. If your conversation is unrehearsed and unstructured and lacks direction, then it will be difficult for the customers to participate because they aren’t familiar with your script, so to speak. All of the actors on stage need to know where the dialogue is going so they can interact comfortably as professionals. The audience knows whether or not the actors know what they are doing.

Once all of these basics are mastered and understood, then the opportunity for timing comes in to play. Timing depends on the interaction with the audience – a comment or question that works for one may not work for another. And if you are struggling with who you are as a salesperson, what question to ask next and what to say, then you can’t be listening and it will be next to impossible to have any kind of timing. Like the magician on stage, if he is worried about the rabbit, the hat and whether or not anything is up his sleeve – it’s not going to be a very good trick.

Timing, like inflection, body language and the ability to engage and establish rapport, is more of an art than science. Performance artists don’t just memorize their script and walk on stage. Are they believable? Do they communicate their lines effectively? They have a script, obviously, but with good actors you never know that. They deliver their lines as if they are unrehearsed, unscripted and for the very first time. They accomplish this, like the magician, by constant rehearsal and repetition. That way, when someone else stumble and forgets a line, or delivers the wrong line, then they, as the well trained and rehearsed professional, can rescue the situation and the audience never knows.

It should be no different for new home salespeople, but unfortunately, too many of us rehearse and practice in front of the paying audience. If new home salespeople want to be able to engage more effectively and have the kind of seamless timing that generates a productive conversation that is helpful to both the customer and the new home sales person, then they need to spend much more time in rehearsal.

Kirk Chittick is co-founder and owner of Making Customers, Inc., a sales coaching, training and strategy firm based in California. As an expert in intentional sales attitudes and behavior, Kirk helps sales teams and their companies improve sales revenues, results and profits through a change in intentions, attitudes, thinking and behavior. Kirk speaks across the country on sales, sales intentions and sales management as well as writing numerous articles and blog posts. For more information about Kirk please visit www.makingcustomers.com.

Great point, timing is everything. When a new customer first comes into our sales arena, it is essential that we begin as Covey says by “Seeking first to understand and then to be understood” with a series of open ended discovery questions. That way we can present a “planned not canned” presentation, that resonates with our customer’s Hot buttons.

Having said that it is important that we don’t appear to overwhelm the customers with what appears to be too many questions too soon, bombarding them in a robotic style. At the mastery level, we need to select the essential discovery questions, delivered in a friendly easy going style (adapted for the customer’s personality styles) and then prove to the customer that we are listening and responding; so they will feel comfortable in continuing to answer our polite but probing questions.

To define open ended questions, these are questions that can’t be answered with a yes or no. They begin with “How, what, when where who, tell me and share with me?” No “Do you?” or ”Did you?” questions please. As I like to say “Open ended at the beginning leads to closing at the end.”

Then prove that you are listening by what we call Reflecting and Chunking. Reflecting is repeating one thing you heard, and chunking is repeating everything you heard them say. For example at the end of the discovery process get your hand out and fill up all four fingers and your thumb by repeating back, When the customer wants to move, What value range they would like to stay within, What features in their brand new home they are looking for and anything else of importance that you have discovered. When a customer realizes that you are actually listening and engaging them then they will open up and gladly share with you more detailed, possibly private information about their wants and needs.

In the presentation make sure that you have the props to support your questions, be at your aerial photo or map, when asking what location features are important, where they work, and whether Schools are important? When talking about gourmet kitchens and giving choices of countertops and appliances, be in the kitchen. As great philosophers say “Be in the Now”.

Stick to these important rules of timing and you will increase sales, while creating a loyal following of customers and referrals.

Roland Nairnsey is Senior Vice President of Training and Development for Bob Schultz and the New Home Sales Specialists, and can be reached at Roland@newhomespecialist.com or 561-368-1151 for any questions or comments.

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