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[S1112]Stupid Questions People Ask

by Michael Russell, Mic

One of the most common forms of humor is in asking questions, that when you think about them, make no sense. Oh, the questions themselves make sense all right. It's the things that they are questioning that make no sense when you really sit down and ponder the situation. We're going to ponder some of the more common ones that philosophers have been wrestling with for years and still haven't found an answer to. It is doubtful any answers will be found here as well.

For example, why do people go to a McDonald's, order a Big Mac, large fries, apple pie and then insist on getting a diet soft drink? When you think about it, what sense does this really make? The Big Mac alone has close to 1000 calories. The fries are a good 450 and heaven knows what the apple pie has in it. A person ordering this meal has already consumed almost all the calories they need for the day, so the diet soda isn't going to help ease the situation that's certainly leading this person to an early cardiac episode.

Here's one that should keep quite a few of you up at night. Scientists say that the Universe is everything. The concept of everything should be clear to everyone. However, scientists also say that the Universe is expanding. If the Universe is everything to begin with, then what is it expanding into? This is kind of like saying you have all the money in the world but want more. There IS no more. Weird.

Okay, this one is sure to have you scratching your head. Doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice law. These are people whom we entrust our health and legal problems to. These are people who have the most influence over whether we live or die. Shouldn't they be good enough at what they do that they don't have to practice it anymore? Do you really want your doctor practicing on you while he's doing open heart surgery?

And if you really want something that makes no sense at all, picture this situation. The city of New York has just had a major power outage. Everyone in the city is without light. They can't do anything that requires electricity. So somebody please explain why they report power outages on TV? The people who can see it aren't affected and the people who are affected can't see the report and already know there's an outage anyway since they have no lights. The illogic of man is just mind numbing.

This should raise at least a few eyebrows. The price of something, how much it costs, and the worth of something, are basically the same thing. So then how come priceless and worthless are total opposites?

How about this? Somebody puts a bumper sticker on their car that says, "If you can read this, you're TOO close." If they don't want people to tailgate them then why put bumper stickers on their car in the first place? Who's going to see it BUT the tailgaters?

We could go on and on but you get the point. Lots of stupid questions in our world. Now if only somebody could come up with some smart answers.

Have you ever met a sales person who has all the excuses? The reasons that the sale just didn't happen; it's never their fault is it! Many business owners make the same mistakes. This article will help, if you do the selling yourself or have to manage sales people. Any winning sales person, who is in control of a sale, will know the answers to the six questions revealed here ? if they don't ? then don't start spending your profits, just yet!

I have kept this article short and sweet. Just ask yourself these questions or your sales people in relation to each opportunity they are pursuing. They should know the answers. If they don't go find them ? they are the key to winning sales.

What is more important, not only do you win the sales, but you win them faster and without having to give the whole show away as a discount. The reason will become apparent.

Who is the Decision Maker ? Who makes the purchases at your company? You need to talk to the equivalent person or group at your client's company! I have seen too many sales lost, or should I say not won, by not speaking to the guy who writes the checks.

What is the Enablement Value ? don't tell your prospect what your product does, ask what your product would enable them to do and help them put a value on that! If you can't get the client to express the value of ownership of your product or service, in their terms ? you just become an annoying cost.

What is the Timing of the Purchase ? when do they need this by, what happens if they don't get it by then, what will that cost them? If you go order a new car, it is due in 2 weeks just before you are going on a long journey ? and it is late! ? do you get upset? Well the key here is when and why will your prospect become upset if they did not have your product ? because if it does not really matter that much, you will have problems parting them with their money.

What is the effect of Organizational change ? what would happen if people were to move jobs or roles would that change the decision process? Again this is about being prepared. I met a guy today who had spent six months working on a bid to a customer. The customer had agreed, they were about to sign the contracts and the customer got taken over ? no sale. Could he have been prepared for that?

What External Events could affect the sale ? are there anything external to the company like large customers, their competitors or the economy that could change the decision process? Probably the most difficult to alter, but by knowing dependencies on external factors, could help you plan for change. In the most simplistic sense, a local filling station on the edge of a town, with a planned by-pass, might need to change their strategic direction.

Who is the Competition ? do you know and understand exactly what your competition could be offering and whom they are talking to? Probably the most overlooked and least prepared for competitor is called Inaction. A winning sales person will know the competition, including doing nothing and will mitigate, where possible against it.

By always asking these six questions, you will increase your chances of success hugely. You may not win every time, but at least your profits will be substantially up.

Article Source : Top Sales People

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Both Michael Russell & Peter Lawlesss are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Michael Russell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Celebrities, Dieting and Diabetes Treatment. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to . Michael Russell's top article generates over 2240000 views. to your Favourites.

Peter Lawlesss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Shopping and Home Management. This article was written by Peter Lawless, founder of . For previous articles like this, visit 3R's Articles. Alternatively, subscribe to Success our free mo. Peter Lawlesss's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.