What does bowling have to do with selling?

Quite a bit, actually! Some people excel at bowling. They can pick up a ball, roll it down the lane, and watch as it knocks over all the pins. A strike! It feels good, everyone cheers, and you get 10 points added to your score plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the next two rolls.

Others are not so good at bowling. They roll the ball with great intent to score a strike, only to watch in horror as it veers off course and into the gutter, where it stays without a chance to knock down any pins. The score is recorded as a big zero.

A few new bowlers admit and accept that they need help. They use gutter guards to prevent the ball from slipping into the gutter, forcing it to stay in the lane. This enables their ball to knock down some pins and get on the scoreboard. They may even get a strike!

If you are in sales, use your gutter guards! Gutter guards for the salesperson are the questions you ask that help you uncover how your products and services benefit your prospects and customers.

Companies value product training, but many do not invest in helping salespeople understand what the customer perceives as the benefit of what they are selling. Salespeople are usually very good at being able to talk about their products and services. However, prospects and customers don’t buy your products and services. They buy what your products and services do!

Successful salespeople use gutter guards! Salespeople are not mind readers! They collect questions. They plan questions to help them understand what prospects and customers consider benefits. Try this: develop a list of questions you can ask to help you understand the perspective of your prospects and customers. What are your prospects and customers really buying? These questions should help you understand why they need or want what you are selling.

Start collecting questions and use them just as a bowler uses the gutter guards to keep the ball in the lane and on track. Your questions will keep the sales process moving and help you earn the right to close that culminates in a “Yes.” A strike!