What are the benefits and drawbacks of problem-oriented questioning in customer-focused selling? (original) (raw)

Customer-focused selling is a sales approach that aims to understand the needs, challenges, and goals of the customer and offer solutions that address them. One of the key skills in customer-focused selling is asking effective questions that elicit valuable information and build trust. However, not all questions are created equal. In this article, we will compare and contrast two types of questions: solution-oriented and problem-oriented. We will also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using problem-oriented questions in customer-focused selling.

Key takeaways from this article

Balance your questions:
Mix in solution-oriented questions to maintain a positive conversation flow. This approach helps in highlighting your product’s value without making the client feel overwhelmed by the focus on their problems.
Open-ended inquiry:
Use open-ended, problem-oriented questions to uncover the true scope of the client's needs. This tactic allows them to articulate their challenges, potentially revealing a greater fit for your solutions.

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Nakul Kadaba Customer Success | Global Project…

Solution-oriented questions

Solution-oriented questions are questions that focus on the desired outcomes, benefits, and value of the solution for the customer. They help the customer envision how their situation will improve after using the product or service. For example, a solution-oriented question could be: "How would it help your business if you could automate your invoicing process and save time and money?" Solution-oriented questions are useful for creating positive emotions, demonstrating value, and overcoming objections.

Problem oriented questions should pertain to the customer and their business, NOT the areas that your product works in. Asking these questions the right way -- hearing their challenges, difficulties, setbacks in the last year or so -- will go a long way to developing trust with the customer. You are there to understand the customer's problem and articulate it back. This also can help open up possibilities as to how your product may be used more creatively to solve for their use-case. These types of questions can broaden your mind.
The most effective benefit while positioning problem-oriented questions are predicated on you ensure that they are open ended, and not leading to your product. If they are open ended, problem-oriented questions can help the customer fully describe their problem, giving you the indication of whether there's a good fit for your products/services you are providing or positioning. The second benefit is whether there is a greater fit than you (or the customer) originally perceived, giving you more points to outline and position for potential alignment.
I have found that problem focused questions create worry and fear in the buyer. This once was a great angle but not anymore. Buyers are very sophisticated now due to the robust amount of information at your fingertips, the internet. Buyers don’t need to feel scared or fear, that’s the opposite of what you should strive for in a sales conversation. You can’t make good decisions out of fear. But why has this changed? COVID. The pandemic has conditioned our nervous system to be on high alert all of the time. Our threat responses are through the roof and we are naturally seeking pleasure responses. So placing problem focused questions in front of your buyer will only make them run the other way.

Balancing problem-oriented and solution-oriented questions

The key to using problem-oriented questions effectively in customer-focused selling is to balance them with solution-oriented questions. A good rule of thumb is to use problem-oriented questions in the early stages of the sales process, when the salesperson needs to discover the customer's needs and pain points, and solution-oriented questions in the later stages, when the salesperson needs to present the value proposition and close the deal. A good balance of problem-oriented and solution-oriented questions can help the salesperson create a compelling contrast between the customer's current situation and their desired situation, and guide them towards the best solution for their needs.

I think you need to ask both problem-oriented and solution-oriented questions efficiently in order to truly understand the customers needs. You can discover the problems, but if your solution is not inline with what they want, what are you going to do? If your solution has no bearing on the problem, then what? I think the most efficient approach is balance. You will be able to fix the problem with the best solution possible, which will create that great relationship for the sales rep and the customer.

Customer-focused Selling

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