This document provides guidance on how to qualify customers during a sales interaction. It discusses understanding customer buying motives, using appropriate questioning techniques like open-ended, probing and hypothetical questions to understand customer needs. Salespeople should listen to customers and let them do most of the talking. The document also provides tips on recognizing buying signals from customers and reviewing the discussion with techniques like summarizing, paraphrasing and signposting. The goal is for salespeople to fully understand customer requirements to make the right sales pitch.

1. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials
Qualify Customers

2. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
By the end of the Power Hour you will be able to:
• Describe the different buying motives that customers
have and how this affects your sales approach
• Use appropriate questioning and listening techniques
to fully understand the customer's needs
• Gain permission to move forward to
the next part of the sale

3. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Buying Motives
•Economy/Value
•Durability
•Performance
•Labour-saving
•Time-saving
•Simple operation
•Space-saving
•Availability
•Quality
•Low maintenance
Rational
•Pride of ownership
•Desire for prestige/recognition
•Desire to ‘fit in’/fashion
•Safety
•Fear
•Desire for security
•Convenience
•Desire to be unique/the first
•Curiosity
Emotional

4. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Ask Questions
Open Questions
•Open up a
conversation
•Encourage the
other person to
speak freely
•For example
"What will you
use this for?" or
"Who will be
using this?"
Probing
Questions
•Dig deeper into
answers
already
provided
•Seek reasons,
consequences
and motives
•For example
"What do you
use now ..?" or
"What research
have you done
so far?"
Specific
Questions
•Look for
specific issues
or examples
•Provide clarity
and aid
understanding,
and can
uncover
'excuses' or
assumptions
•For example
"Have you
considered X?"
or "What do
you find most
annoying?"
Hypothetical
Questions
•‘What if?'
questions
•Help the other
person to look
at a situation
differently and
see other
options
•For example "If
you could only
have 3
functions, what
would they be
....?"
Closed
Questions
•Useful as long
as they are not
over-used
•Especially
useful for
clarifying
points,
concluding a
discussion and
agreeing action
•For example
"Can I show
you..?" or "So
you are not
interested
in...?"

5. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
LISTEN!
A good salesperson will:
• form their next question based on the answer to the
previous question.
• ask for clarification and examples if
necessary
• let the customer do the majority of
the talking

6. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Buying Signals
•Asking technical or specific questions
•Asking about availability
•Asking about payment options
•Raising objections
•Asking about delivery
•Asking “What if?” questions
•Saying ‘yes’, ‘OK’ or ’I see’
•Asking you to repeat things
Verbal
•Making notes
•Touching the product
•Referring back to the brochure/information
•Continues to look at the product/ information
even when you are talking
•Smiling
•Nodding
•Looking thoughtful (perhaps they are
imagining owning the product, or wondering
whether they can afford it)
•Getting comfortable
Non-
Verbal

7. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Reviewing
Summarising
• Simply repeat back to
the customer what
you have heard them
say.
• Referring back to any
notes you have made
is also helpful when
summarising.
Paraphrasing
• When you
paraphrase, you
reflect back what the
customer has told
you, but using your
own words.
• This can help you to
check that you both
have the same
understanding about
what has been said.
Signposting
• When you signpost,
you relive what has
happened so far, and
what will happen
next.

8. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
Make it Work at Work
What are you going
to DO as a result of
this Power Hour
Session?

9. Qualify Customers
Http://www.power-hour.co.uk – Bite Size Training Materials 2012
These slides have been produced as an optional
resource to support a Bite-Size Training session on this
subject.
A full set of materials, including detailed Session
Leader’s Guide, Delegate Workbook and supporting
activities can be purchased from our Training Shop
Our Training materials are licence-free, but are for use
by the purchaser only.
They CANNOT be passed or sold on.