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Here are other reasons to lead with questions: |
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Lead a customer to clarify. "Can you elaborate on what you mean by inadequate turnaround time?" |
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Lead a customer who is digressing. "Yes, you mentioned the filter earlier. You started to tell me something about the missing label, didn't you?" |
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Lead a customer who keeps going in circles. "Okay, let me see if I have things straight to this point. You said the delivery driver arrived at noon. That he didn't have the right tools to install the machine. And that he waited out on your deck for one hour until his backup driver arrived. Now, was there any other wasted time that you noted and wanted us to deduct from your repair bill?" |
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Lead a customer to generalize and get to the point. "So your main concern is that the bill should not reflect time spent due to the driver's incompetence?" |
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Lead a customer to be specific. "You said the driver was discourteous. Did he yell? Act sullen? Refuse to give you his name?" |
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Lead a customer to clarify seemingly conflicting facts or statements. "Your colleague said he arrived at noon. I understood you to say he arrived at 2 o'clock. Which time is correct, or did I misunderstand one of you?" |
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Lead a customer to give you feedback. "Do you think you will go ahead with the February order if this repair is completed on time?" "What other concerns do you have about awarding the contract to us?" |
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Lead a customer to agreement. "I've decided to delete all the service charges. Will that be acceptable to you?" |
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The leading question is not bad or good within itself; simply realize its purpose and its effect. On occasion it may sound patronizing; on another occasion, efficient. |
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Tip 470: State the point of your question. |
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For best results, give questions a context. A trade-show manager asks his assistant how much small, plastic trash cans cost. His assistant calls eight stores to put together a list of potential suppliers of trash containers, with the available sizes and prices for volume purchases. When she reports back to the manager with her list of suppliers, he comments that they're all too expensive for the one-time use he intendsto place them in the exhibitor booths for the upcoming trade show. When he amplifies on his purpose, the perturbed assistant explains that her next-door neighbor runs a cleaning service. And that cleaning-service company will supply trash contain- |
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