Want Your Sales Team to Produce More Revenue? Ask These 6 Questions

This post originally appeared on the Force Management Blog. To read more content like this, visit the blog here.

Coaching your salespeople to success is a fundamental component of being a great sales leader.

Providing constructive and consistent feedback can make the difference between a team of underperforming reps and one that is exceeding quota. 

Don’t just tell your reps what to do in their sales calls, join them. Then use the time after the call as an opportunity to reinforce key value-based selling fundamentals.

Here are six questions that will help you provide effective feedback after a sales call. 

6 questions that will help your sales team produce more revenue:

1. What was the ratio of speaking to listening?

Did he/she listen to the customer and try to uncover key pain points that will allow them to demonstrate value throughout the sales process? 

2. Did they adjust their message to the buying audience?

Was he/she audible-ready to adjust the message based on what the customer said?

3. Did the rep ask open-ended, two-sided discovery questions?

Effective questioning makes for an effective sales conversation. Alternatively, closed-ended questions can kill the call. As an observer, be sure to listen to the questions your sales rep asks. They’re almost as important as the answers.

4. What are the prospect’s largest technical and business problems? Has the rep uncovered them?

You need a solid understanding of the impact your solution can have on your buyer’s business issue. Has your seller earned the right to move the conversation forward by uncovering key problems?

5. How well did the rep attach solutions to the biggest business problems?

If he/she has uncovered the right business issue, the next step is to attach solutions. Has an effective connection been made between what you’re offering and what the buying organization needs?

6. How well did the rep associate pains and uncover requirements before discussing solutions?

Pay attention to timing. You don’t want the conversations to be focused on solutions too early. Even if the rep is asking the right questions, you want to be sure they listen enough before they articulate solutions and differentiation. Listening closely to the flow of the conversation can provide some great coaching opportunities.

When debriefing a sales call, always ask your reps to explain how they performed before offering your own feedback. Discuss two things that went well and two areas to improve during the next call. Effective coaching can mean the difference between a great win and a lost deal.