Why are people scared to ask?

I'm currently preparing to deliver another in-house sales training program for a group of technical professionals. And you know what - I see the same issues time and again. People are scared to asked their clients questions. Often this fear comes from a fear of the 'unknown'.

In other words - the person doing the asking (the sales person) isn't sure of what the answer will be. It is this sense of the 'unknown' which often scares people away from asking the right questions.

This fear is greatest for professionals and technically trained staff who are usually expected by their clients and colleagues to always know the answer.

After all - that's why clients go to them. To get a technically correct answer.

And I find that professionals in sales roles often place that same high level of expectation on themselves. And in doing so they start to become scared of not knowing everything. So they stop short when asking probing questions of clients...

... because they don't want to appear as if they don't know. And because they might not be sure of what the client will say in response.

My tip - get sales training to have a more professional sales approach. Learn a strategy for asking the right questions. Learn how to respond to the unknown.

Then you wont need to be scared to ask anymore.

Developing Managers as Coaches

I've known Dr Edward Gifford of On-Purpose Partners for a number of years. He is a genius at helping others find their true purpose. On August 23 and 24 he is running a workshop in Brisbane for managers who need modern skills to manage (i.e. 'coach') their team . Do you know someone who should attend?

The 2-day course covers facilitating skills, coaching vs mentoring, ethical principals, creating learning strategies, and communication skills.

For more information, and an information brochure contact Edward at On-Purpose Partners or call him in Brisbane on 07 3878 7422.