Sales questioning skills

I understand your frustration, girlclozer. When you feel you've answered in specifics and the other person doesn't feel you have and sees it differently and asks for more information, it does produce frustration. Also there is a critical quality about Pat's inquiry of you that's evident - Pat is skilled at asking critical questions here.

Look, here's the deal. Many people post on forums using lots of theory and prose that offer little insight into what they actually do or clear answers to genuine questions about a topic. So look at it differently than a dispute between two people: you meet someone who says he or she sells but won't disclose what's being sold and that it's in this or that industry, and that he or she sells bottom end $200,000 - top end two million. You understand all that but there seems to be still something vague and you still have questions.

Now girlclozer, you have been under the impression it's going to be a candid and thorough conversation with this person but you feel there are gaps so you ask questions important to you which still aren't answered. It just makes you feel frustrated AND more importantly question the motives of that person.

How would you feel?

That's the kind of situation you might emphasize with - obviously no one has to answer anything he or she doesn't want to answer.

Obviously making the kind of deals you make puts you at the top of the industry and someone who could contribute much more in depth and detail to this forum.

MitchM

Thank you for your reply.

I would submit that you are correct as it relates to the first post. Questions are obviously important to any discourse. I believe though that any reasonable person that re-reads the last post to me would not see a person skilled at critical questions. Rather someone that was being accusatory. Apparently the issues go way beyond the scope of what is appropriate here.

With that said, I would think that the category of "investments" should suffice for the needs of this forum.

One last thing. I really do appreciate your compliment. I would like to make one thing very clear though. In my expierience, people who sell "big ticket" items are not necessarily any better sales people than people who sell lower priced products or services. So I do appreciate the compliment but want to reiterate that I am not making claims here of being any better than others on this forum.

Thanks again

girlclozer -

I should add that Pat aka OUTSource Sales asks critical and challenging quesitons of everyone here - so I wouldn't feel genderphobic about his posts. Also, I understand how we all can come across as hostile from time to time and how that reflects either side of the question is a study in itself.

I've felt that hostility and it's source has sometimes been from a hostile poster and other times a reflection of my own hostile attitude. The difference is for each of us to discern accurately.

It could be a fact, though, that if you are consistently closing $200,000 - $2,000,000 deals you are in the top 1% of all sales professionals which is all the more reason to be candid and fluent.

MitchM

girlclozer, if you took the time to roll all the way back to the start of this thread, you'd find the basis for my comments. It has nothing to do with hostility or gender! In fact, those comments are way off-base.

Any "rude innuendo" is in reaction to your cavalier approach, you need to wait before you reply.

On the one hand, you claim to offer some mysterious sort of pre-sales support to investment and computer services companies with transactions in the $200K plus range with sales cycles to 9 years. But, on the other, you seem unable to describe the offering which you're apparently providing assistance selling.

girlclozer, I've been selling computer services for decades and to the best of my knowledge there are no "mercenaries" out there who have come in to assist my efforts. Where we've gotten involved in complex financing, we've had superlative support from the 3rd party leasing companies (eg. IBM Global Finance). Are you brought in as a "consultant"? Do you get paid if the deal doesn't "go down"? What sort of companies hire you? How does a sales manage find a service which you claim to offer?

If you were genuinely interested in sharing with the participants of the forum, you would not have taken any questions the wrong way. If "sharing" isn't your intent, perhaps, this isn't the forum for you.

Take a breath. Go away from the forum and when you come back, read the forum from the start.

Here are a few suggestions which will make your experience much more meaningful for all involved:
1. when you provide "proof-sources" to back-up a thread, you really need to include the references (because we all want to see the details in perspective as we might well use the information ourselves); and,
2. comments should include some background on complexity of sale otherwise the forum cannot see the input in perspective (where you reacted negatively to my questions about industry, complexity, deal size ... the request was genuine); and,
3. instead of making broad, sweeping statements about sales techniques, it is much more acceptable when couched in terms such as, "... in my experience..."; and,
4. rather than using the forum as a "shield" when you feel roughed-up, you should send a private message directly to the individual (eg. "... am I missing something or are you slamming me..."; "...I am trying to make a point without losing the rookies..."; etc.) otherwise space in the forum is wasted; and,

I'm not the ogre which you attempt to portray me. I'm simply an experienced sales person with strong sales management credentials. And I know when smoke is being blown up my kilt.

Good luck & Good selling!
Pat

	#41
MitchM	I Understand Your Frustration I understand your frustration, girlclozer. When you feel you've answered in specifics and the other person doesn't feel you have and sees it differently and asks for more information, it does produce frustration. Also there is a critical quality about Pat's inquiry of you that's evident - Pat is skilled at asking critical questions here. Look, here's the deal. Many people post on forums using lots of theory and prose that offer little insight into what they actually do or clear answers to genuine questions about a topic. So look at it differently than a dispute between two people: you meet someone who says he or she sells but won't disclose what's being sold and that it's in this or that industry, and that he or she sells bottom end $200,000 - top end two million. You understand all that but there seems to be still something vague and you still have questions. Now girlclozer, you have been under the impression it's going to be a candid and thorough conversation with this person but you feel there are gaps so you ask questions important to you which still aren't answered. It just makes you feel frustrated AND more importantly question the motives of that person. How would you feel? That's the kind of situation you might emphasize with - obviously no one has to answer anything he or she doesn't want to answer. Obviously making the kind of deals you make puts you at the top of the industry and someone who could contribute much more in depth and detail to this forum. MitchM __________________ Twelve Years Helping People Feel Better, Live Better, Do Better http://mitch-mitchsblog.blogspot.com/

	#42
girlclozer	Thank you for your reply. I would submit that you are correct as it relates to the first post. Questions are obviously important to any discourse. I believe though that any reasonable person that re-reads the last post to me would not see a person skilled at critical questions. Rather someone that was being accusatory. Apparently the issues go way beyond the scope of what is appropriate here. With that said, I would think that the category of "investments" should suffice for the needs of this forum. One last thing. I really do appreciate your compliment. I would like to make one thing very clear though. In my expierience, people who sell "big ticket" items are not necessarily any better sales people than people who sell lower priced products or services. So I do appreciate the compliment but want to reiterate that I am not making claims here of being any better than others on this forum. Thanks again

	#43
MitchM	Hostility & Genderphobia girlclozer - I should add that Pat aka OUTSource Sales asks critical and challenging quesitons of everyone here - so I wouldn't feel genderphobic about his posts. Also, I understand how we all can come across as hostile from time to time and how that reflects either side of the question is a study in itself. I've felt that hostility and it's source has sometimes been from a hostile poster and other times a reflection of my own hostile attitude. The difference is for each of us to discern accurately. It could be a fact, though, that if you are consistently closing $200,000 - $2,000,000 deals you are in the top 1% of all sales professionals which is all the more reason to be candid and fluent. MitchM

	#44
OUTSource Sales "Top Sales Expert"	Still Haven't Answered the Questions girlclozer, if you took the time to roll all the way back to the start of this thread, you'd find the basis for my comments. It has nothing to do with hostility or gender! In fact, those comments are way off-base. Any "rude innuendo" is in reaction to your cavalier approach, you need to wait before you reply. On the one hand, you claim to offer some mysterious sort of pre-sales support to investment and computer services companies with transactions in the $200K plus range with sales cycles to 9 years. But, on the other, you seem unable to describe the offering which you're apparently providing assistance selling. girlclozer, I've been selling computer services for decades and to the best of my knowledge there are no "mercenaries" out there who have come in to assist my efforts. Where we've gotten involved in complex financing, we've had superlative support from the 3rd party leasing companies (eg. IBM Global Finance). Are you brought in as a "consultant"? Do you get paid if the deal doesn't "go down"? What sort of companies hire you? How does a sales manage find a service which you claim to offer? If you were genuinely interested in sharing with the participants of the forum, you would not have taken any questions the wrong way. If "sharing" isn't your intent, perhaps, this isn't the forum for you. Take a breath. Go away from the forum and when you come back, read the forum from the start. Here are a few suggestions which will make your experience much more meaningful for all involved: 1. when you provide "proof-sources" to back-up a thread, you really need to include the references (because we all want to see the details in perspective as we might well use the information ourselves); and, 2. comments should include some background on complexity of sale otherwise the forum cannot see the input in perspective (where you reacted negatively to my questions about industry, complexity, deal size ... the request was genuine); and, 3. instead of making broad, sweeping statements about sales techniques, it is much more acceptable when couched in terms such as, "... in my experience..."; and, 4. rather than using the forum as a "shield" when you feel roughed-up, you should send a private message directly to the individual (eg. "... am I missing something or are you slamming me..."; "...I am trying to make a point without losing the rookies..."; etc.) otherwise space in the forum is wasted; and, I'm not the ogre which you attempt to portray me. I'm simply an experienced sales person with strong sales management credentials. And I know when smoke is being blown up my kilt. Good luck & Good selling! Pat __________________ OUTSource Sales Consulting Visit us: www.OUTSource-sales.net

Sales questioning skills

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