The Most Uncomfortable Questions Usually Matter Most

This is the last in a series on Asking Discovery Questions, the most critical step in the sales process. There will be actions for sales associates and sales managers to accompany each installment.

The primary function of the BADAS Questions is to learn if the customer can buy TODAY by how they answer the questions. Their answers reflect where they are in their buying process.

The questions are not asked in order but asked as a conversation. Ask the easier ones, like Shopping and Timeframe first, as they are “low trust” questions that can be answered without a lot of connection. Save the money questions for when you have more of a relationship established…but still ask all of them before you provide a solution.

Budget

Objective: To get an actual NUMBER. Their expectation of what it will cost to get what they want.

Examples:

• “What are you planning to invest in the project at this time?”
• “Did you have a particular figure in mind?”
• “Is there a price range you want to stay within?”

Ability to Buy / Showroom Finance Terms

Objective: To find out what I need to do as a seller to make the financial aspects of this sale happen now.

Examples:

• “What about the advertising brought you in today?”
• “May I explain to you the benefits of our current financing promotion?”

Decision Makers / Influencers

Objective: To find out if everyone is here NOW to be able to buy today.

Examples:

• “Is there anyone else’s opinion on this that is of value to you?”
• “Is everyone here who needs to be here?”

Availability / Timeframe

Objective: To see how much time we ACTUALLY have, so that they can be shown what they can get within that timeframe.

Examples:

• “Is there an event coming up that you need this for?”
• “Is there a deadline we need to work around?”

Shopping / Competition

Objective: To find out where else they have been, what they expect to find, what they are comparing to, and how they will make their decision.

Examples:

• “Where else have you been?”
• “Have you found something that you like elsewhere?”
• “What are you comparing us to?”

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is avoiding the uncomfortable questions. But the questions that are uncomfortable during discovery are usually the exact objections that become uncomfortable later in the process.

Strong salespeople ask the questions anyway.

Not aggressively. Not mechanically. But confidently and conversationally.

As a Salesperson, practice asking ALL of the BADAS Questions, especially the ones that make you uncomfortable. Better to be uncomfortable now and ask them than not ask them and be uncomfortable when they come up later as an objection.

As a Sales Manager, make these part of your debrief after a customer leaves the showroom and has not purchased. Dig in with the salesperson around each of the BADAS Questions and help them identify what information was missing before the recommendation was presented.