As a sales leader, I can assure you that selling is a profession that is constantly changing. Some would even say that the profession is harder these days than in the past. Still, there will always be top-notch performers. I have spent many years trying to learn their secrets. Here are some of my observations.

Before we look for their secret sauce, I think it’s a good idea to look at the various types of sales professionals. Looking back on my career I can think of a few types of salespeople I have encountered. There may be other types but these are the ones that resonate with me.

  • Some salespeople work hard to build a relationship with the client. These salespeople give freely of their time and they try very hard to meet the client’s needs. Salespeople who work to build this type of professional rapport are Relationship Builders.
  • There is a class of salesperson that always gives the extra effort that’s required. They will come in early and stay late if that’s what it takes to succeed. These professionals can rightly be labeled Hard Workers because they usually outwork all of their colleagues.
  • Another sales type is what I like to call the Outlaws. They are super confident and have their own way of making things happen. They don’t mind breaking rules as they believe their way is the best way to succeed.
  • One type of sales professional is detail oriented and always reliable. They are legendary for their follow-up. After sales service is a key focal point for these Problem Solvers. Customers almost always like these salespeople.
  • Lastly, we have sales professionals who really know their customers from the ground up. These men/women are not afraid to take unpopular views with the customer. They like to take control of the selling process by being Questioners who are able to tell their clients things they don’t even know about their business.

Questioners outperform the other types of sales professionals.

If we take the time to examine the various types of salespeople, the distribution is fairly uniform across the five types identified above. The difference seems to be the percentage of top sales professionals that come from the Questioner category.

So let’s examine why this group tends to be the group that shines the brightest.

Questioners educate their customers about all of the possibilities open to them. More than just features and benefits, they offer a new dimension when examining the client’s business. They illuminate new ideas that focus on the three keys to customer success:

  1. Make Money
  2. Save Money
  3. Add Value

Asking questions in sales identifies the various customer stakeholders that have influence over any buying decisions. They are careful to understand the customer’s objectives in an effort to outline the product/service message such that it will resonate within the buyer organization.

Customers don’t usually like to deal with aggressive salespeople. For this reason, Questioners are careful not to appear too assertive as they probe for the client’s needs. It’s a special talent to be able to question a customer’s business plans without causing offense. Questioners are expert at creating an atmosphere devoid of tension. One where collaboration is the order of the day. This includes discussion about price.

Now, if Questioners tend to be the big winners in sales, who are the sales types that finish lower in the rankings? In my experience, those would be the Relationship Builders.

Don’t misunderstand. Relationships are obviously important in the world of sales. It would be wrong to suggest otherwise. The difference in performance is a result of how the Questioners think and act as opposed to the Relationship Builders. The Questioners have the edge because they prompt the clients to think “outside the box”. Relationship Builders tend to be more inclined to appease the client by going along with various demands placed on the table.

Questioners work to steer customers away from their normal postures by prompting them to think from a more open-minded position. Relationship Builders are more inclined to smooth the waters in the face of each customer request. Relationship builders spend more time and effort hoping to be liked by the various client stakeholders. Think of it as a “being of service” approach to selling.

The Questioner focuses more on finding where there is added value to be mined for the customer. The Questioner is focused on the customer’s goals and helping them to make progress against those goals. This approach requires a very in-depth understanding of the client and their business drivers.

Questioners dominate the world of the complex sale

There is a belief among some in the world of sales that Questioners thrive in down markets but Relationship Builders rule the day during more normal times.

My experience suggests that if we take out the product selling or transactional types of sales and focus on the sale of highly engineered/complex products and services the results are clear. Questioners are dominant when working in a complex sales environment.

These all-star sales professionals are the ones that will be most valued by the client. They are not widget sellers. Instead, they actively seek ways to partner with the client in an effort to offer solutions to complex problems. They are also the sellers that do the most to drive top line growth.

Above all else, the Questioner is willing to ask the hard question:

“How committed are you and your organization to eliminating this pain and/or achieving this goal”.

I think many people would be amazed at how often clients are unable to answer that question affirmatively.

They ask this question because they understand, as Colleen Stanley reminds us, “Remember, you can’t be more committed to your prospect’s success than they are”.

No matter how badly you want to help the client. You must first ensure they are committed to their own success.