Answer the Question You Wanted Asked

Robert S. McNamara who was, among other accomplishments, the president of Ford Motor Company, said, “Answer the question that you wish had been asked.” There’s wisdom in this for retail sales if we change the phrasing to, “Often, you’ll do best to eloquently answer the question you wished the customer had asked you rather than the question the customer actually asked.”
     Researchers at Harvard University found that consumers are quite likely to trust the advice of someone who answers a related question convincingly. There’s a good chance the consumer will forget about the original question they were asking and will conclude their question has been answered.
     Why does this happen?

• A shopper often feels a need to ask questions of the salesperson, especially if the shopper has to convince others the shopper is making a good decision. The shopper thinks they’ll be challenged by friends or family with “Did you ask questions before you made that big purchase?” For this shopper, it is the process of asking questions as much as the specific content of the questions that are being asked.
• The shopper might be markedly less familiar with the product than is the salesperson and therefore is less knowledgeable than the salesperson about what it’s important to ask about. This shopper appreciates the salesperson’s help in redirecting or rephrasing the question.
• In asking the question, the shopper is wanting to build their confidence when making the purchase decision. Because the salesperson is familiar with giving the answer to the question they wish they’d be asked, the salesperson can answer with the enthusiasm and fluency that projects confidence to the shopper.

     Based on the Harvard research findings, here are the steps to follow in order to answer the question you want to have been asked:

• Start by saying, “I’m glad you asked me that.”
• Give a general description of the question that allows a transition to what you want to answer: “You’re asking me about….”
• Eloquently answer the question you wish you had been asked.
• After giving what you believe to be a sufficient answer, check with the shopper. Say, “Did I address your question?” This is better than, “Did I answer your question?” If the shopper says that you did not, ask the customer to pose the question again. Then in your answer, come closer to what the shopper is asking.

Click below for more:
Answer Customer Questions with Enthusiasm
Learn the Relationship B2B Customers Want