There Really ARE Dumb Questions

    • 1373 posts
    September 25, 2009 7:55 AM PDT

    I enjoyed Art Sobczak's Tel-E Sales Tip this morning, and thought you might, too: This Week's Tip: Questions Like These ARE Dumb Greetings! I don't care what anyone says: There are dumb questions. I called up my favorite local pizza joint to get my regular two-slice-and-a-drink lunch special. The guy asked, "What would you like to drink with that?" "Coke," I answered. When I arrived and gave the same guy my name at the counter, he took my money and again asked, "What would you like to drink with that?" Letting it pass as a simple oversight, I again told him I wanted Coke. He retrieved the slices, and asked me--you guessed it--"What would you like to drink with that?" Busting out into laughter, and looking for the camera, I said, "I still want Coke." _______________________________________ SALES POINT This is simple, but obviously not always followed: LISTEN to the answers. Sometimes we're so concerned about what we'll say or do next we ask a question and don't pay attention to the answer. Dangerous, to be sure. _______________________________________ Later that day I was getting ready to whip up a nice dinner, and realized I forgot to get green onions. No problem. I hustled to the grocery produce section, took a plastic bag from the dispenser, and selected a nice bunch. The high-school-aged checkout boy rang them up, gave me my change, handed me the bag of onions and said, "Would you like those in a bag?" Me: "Well, they're already IN a bag." Him: (a bit embarrassed) "Oh, yeah." _______________________________________ SALES POINT Beware of those questions that are habitual and part of some jobs, but perhaps not always applicable. It's easy to mindlessly ask certain questions, even when not appropriate. _______________________________________ After the first day of a customized Telesales College I did for a client, I hunted down a nice restaurant for a quick bite (I just noticed all of these examples are food-related!). A nano-second after the server set down my food, my waitress appeared, and before I could even lift a utensil said, "How is everything?" "I don't know yet. It LOOKS ok." _______________________________________ SALES POINT See the previous one above. _______________________________________ And finally, same restaurant, same waitress. Five minutes later. Same question. "How is everything?" Me: "The food is great, but the flies in here really are annoying." (I had to brush them away from the food every few seconds. It was a nice enough looking place, but someone must have kept a door open for a long time.) Her: (laughing) "Oh, I guess I should get you a fly-swatter." Then she walked away. Did I expect a free meal? No, but certainly a more concerned response, one having to do with an explanation or cure would have been appropriate. _______________________________________ SALES POINT Be prepared to DO SOMETHING with the answers you get. Ask questions for a reason, and then be prepared to act on the answers, especially if they're answers you'd rather not hear. _______________________________________ QUOTE OF THE WEEK "There is no failure except no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, nor really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose." Ken Hubbard Continue having your best week ever! 


    This post was edited by Rod Schwartz at February 14, 2024 11:30 AM PST