For many entrepreneurs and small business owners, selling is not usually one of our favorite tasks. Yet, we cannot survive without generating sales so selling skills are a critical competency we need to develop. As a small business owner, the most important skill to learn is how to effectively qualify your prospect.

    The most common mistake sales people make is to immediately launch into a product presentation or "pitch" when they first meet their prospect. They extol the virtues of what they sell and tell the prospective buyer how good, fast, reliable, inexpensive or easy to use their product is. They talk, talk, and talk hoping they'll convince the buyer that their product is of value.

    The problem with this approach is that the "pitch" seldom addresses the issues or concerns of the buyer. Because their needs have not been addressed, there is no compelling reason for them to consider using your products or to change suppliers. One of the most effective ways to give them a reason is to ask a few well thought-out questions to uncover what is important to the prospect. Here are a few examples:

• "I notice you currently use XYZ Company. How long have they been your supplier?"
• "What do you like most about them?"
• "If you could change one aspect about your current arrangement, what would it be?"
• "What are the most important issues for you?"
• "What have your experiences been with ABC company?"
• "How many…do you sell in an average week/month?"
• "Who is your primary customer?"
• "Where have you had the most success with your product(s)?"

    One of the most important lessons I've learned in sales is that people will tell you anything you want to know. All you have to do is ask. Most people love to talk about themselves and want to share information about their current situation, their challenges or problems, likes and dislikes. But, in most cases, they need prompting. This prompting comes from you in the form of asking the right questions in the proper tone and manner.

    It amazes me how few salespeople actually take the time to learn about their customer before they launch into their presentation. In fact, not long ago I was interviewing several companies for a training initiative I was working on. The first two salespeople I met rambled on at great length about how good their companies were, how long they had been in business, how they could help me, and so on. Not once during these discussions did the salespeople ask me what I was looking for. Not once during these monologues did they address any of the issues that were floating through my mind. Finally, after thirty minutes, I called the interviews to a close. From my perspective, they had just wasted half an hour of my time and, like most people in today's business climate, my time is valuable and I simply don't have enough of it.