Questions Are the Answer: Asking & Reversing
Ask for What You Want
In Sales, you must ask for what you want, directly, assumptively, and assertively.
You must take the lead- don’t expect or wait for your prospect to do it.
You must ask the tough questions. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive. Asking questions is how you get what you want in sales.
Many failures in sales stem from a failure to ask. Rather than asking for what they want, salespeople often find it more comfortable to wait for the prospect. They find it easier to make positive assumptions and to be a mystified prisoner of hope than to actually ask and find out.
You must ask for the Demo, the next steps, their decision-making criteria, whether you’re the selected vendor, and for the final signature on your Agreement.
Many salespeople don’t ask for what they want because it is inherently vulnerable. It stirs our disruptive emotions. When you ask, you run the risk of being rejected and hearing “No”.
When you ask, you may hear “No”. When you don’t ask, you never hear “Yes”.
How to Ask for What You Want
When you ask for something, always assume the yes (see: Sales Mentality). This mindset boosts your confidence, which is reflected in your body language and tone. It also helps you to ask in a clear, direct, and assertive manner. All of this will help to increase the likelihood of hearing “yes”.
After you ask your question, pause and say nothing. Don’t fill the silence. Don’t continue talking after the question. Give your prospect time and space to respond. Pausing can be tough! Asking can feel vulnerable and the ‘awkward’ silence afterward feels even more so.
Example of How to Ask:
Salesperson (asking): “Are we your preferred vendor?”
3 second pause
Prospect: “Yes, although we’re concerned about price. Is there something you can do on that?”
Example of How Not to Ask:
Salesperson: “I was wondering if we are your preferred vendor? Or are you still evaluating different options?”
1 second pause
Salesperson: “because if you’re concerned about price that’s definitely something that we can discuss and I can talk to my VP about this.”
Prospect: “I really like your platform. It has a lot of the things we’re looking for. But we’re still evaluating and I need to talk to the committee.”
Asking is simple. It’s really, really simple. I often see salespeople overcomplicate this. The direct, assumptive, and assertive question is actually the easiest and simplest one to ask. But because of our disruptive emotions, it can sometimes be the hardest.
Aside: my best friend in high school always used to say “Awkwardness is just a state of mind”. I loved this, and it has stuck with me for nearly twenty years. Nothing is inherently awkward- it’s just subjective. Mindset is everything.
The Sandler Reversing Technique
The Sandler Reversing Technique is simply answering a question with a question. It’s great a question asking technique. This approach is essential in sales, as prospects often make statements or ask questions that can be interpreted in multiple ways. It can be challenging to discern the true intentions behind their words.
Why Use Reversing?
Prospects often reveal only surface level information initially. We must dig deeper to uncover their true problems and emotions.
Reversing helps salespeople uncover the true meaning, feelings, or intentions behind a prospect’s words. This technique ensures that the real roadblocks are identified, preventing the salesperson from jumping to incorrect conclusions. With reversing, salespeople can avoid mutual mystification—where the prospect says one thing and the salesperson interprets it differently. It also helps prevent salespeople from answering questions that weren't asked.
The Power of Reversing
Uncover the Prospect’s Pain
Reversing helps reveal the underlying issues or concerns that the prospect may have. By asking clarifying questions, salespeople can better understand the prospect’s pain points.
Resolve Objections
Questions help the prospect resolve objections. Some people need to speak out loud to make sense of a situation.
Avoid Getting Boxed In
Reversing keeps the conversation fluid and prevents salespeople from being cornered into providing premature answers. It maintains control over the direction of the dialogue.
Gain Credibility
By asking insightful questions, salespeople demonstrate their understanding and expertise. This builds credibility and trust with the prospect.
When to Use Reversing?
Whenever a prospect says something that leaves a question mark in your mind—ask them a question.
It’s really simple! If a question pops into your mind, let the prospect answer it. Your assumptions about the prospect will be significantly less informed than their answers to your questions.
However, salespeople often assume rather than ask, and they usually miss the mark with their assumptions. Reversing helps eliminate this with direct communication.
There’s a great Sandler analogy about going to the doctor. When you visit the doctor, they don’t rush to diagnose you. The doctor doesn’t give you a lesson on the anatomy of the entire human body. The doctor doesn’t pitch you about why they should be the ones to diagnose you. The doctor doesn’t make a ton of assumptions. Instead, the doctor carefully asks you questions to discover what is wrong. Only after this intake and a thorough examination can the doctor help you. It would be unnerving if you went to the doctor and they didn’t do this. You wouldn’t trust or listen to them. So why would salespeople try to be any different than the doctor in their approach?
Example of a Reversing Question
Let’s return to the Example of How To Ask from earlier.
Example of a Reversal:
Salesperson (asking): “Are we your preferred vendor?”
3 second pause
Prospect: “Yes, although we’re concerned about price. Is there something you can do on that?”
Salesperson (reversal): “That’s great. Is our price outside of your budget?”
2 second pause
Prospect: “Well, we have two other quotes that are less than yours.”
This reversal has already provided more information, giving the salesperson valuable insight into the prospect’s request. If the salesperson continues asking questions and using reversals, they can determine whether the objection is sincere or not. This approach will help them avoid unnecessary price discounts. If the prospect’s objection is sincere and a discount is offered, the salesperson can ensure they’re not offering more than necessary. They can also set an Upfront Contract here. Additionally, reversals can be used to uncover other objections, challenges, or blockers that stand in the way of being the selected vendor.
Example of a Common Mistake:
Salesperson (asking): “Are we your preferred vendor?”
3 second pause
Prospect: “Yes, although we’re concerned about price. Is there something you can do on that?”
Salesperson: “I definitely understand and I hear you. How much of a discount do you need? I’ll talk to my VP and try to see if I can get an approval on a discount for you.”
1 second pause
Prospect: “We need your price to be a lot lower.”
In this example, the salesperson’s response includes a question, but it isn’t a reversal. Instead, they’ve reinforced the prospect’s request for a discount without uncovering the underlying reason for the objection. This approach will almost certainly lead to the salesperson discounting their price, likely by more than necessary. After this interaction, the salesperson will seek approval for a discount from their VP without actually knowing if they’ve secured the selection. They might assume (or hope) that the price objection is the final hurdle. However, other objections, challenges, or blockers could still be lurking. They could return to the prospect with the discount only to find that the prospect still isn’t ready to move forward. This is a common example of mutual mystification.
More Examples of Reversing Questions
There are lots of different applications and situations for reversals. Here are some different examples of answering questions with questions.
Can You Share a Little Bit More
Salesperson: “Great question. Can you share a little more context on X first?”
Change of Pace Reversal
If you’ve been using a lot of reversals, it’s good to answer the question succinctly and then immediately ask a question. This is particularly good for simple questions.
Prospect: “Do you have X?”
Salesperson: “Yes, we have X. Is X important to you?”
Testing the Water
Salesperson: “I get the sense that you <xyz>. Is that fair to say?”
Prospect: “Yes”
OR
Prospect: “No”
Salesperson: “How would you categorize that then?”
What Do You Mean By X
Salesperson: “When you say X, what do you mean by that?”
Why Do You Ask
Salesperson: “That’s a really great question! Why do you ask?”
An Exception on Reversing
If your prospect asks you the same question twice, answer it. Do not antagonize your prospect with reversing. You don’t want to erode goodwill, and it’s not supposed to be a salesperson power trip. Reversing should be rapport building, not a rapport breaker.
Additional Resources
Related Articles
Readings
Sandler- Chapter #7: “Can Asking Questions Be The Answer?”
Draft Notes
Softening statement (ARQ)
Tone is important when reversing
Never answer an unasked question
More examples