Asking questions is an integral part of being an excellent salesperson but asking the ‘right’ questions is the key to success.

I’m sure you’ve struggled with asking the right questions of your real estate clients before too.

Picture this… you are sitting across the table from a couple who’ve just arrived from up north and you’re trying your best to convince them you’re the best local agent to help them buy a second home in Charlotte County.

You’ve done your research and you feel prepared but you’re just not seeming to connect with them. What do you do?

Well, you can just pack it up and write off the cost of some time and a few coffees OR you can learn to ask the three types of questions that will lead to a sale.

Let’s dig a little deeper…

The 3 Types of Questions You Must Ask Your Customers

There are three basic types of questions that allow you to discover the needs and wants of your clients and potential customers. Zig Ziglar is a master of these (if you're not familiar with Zig, Google him... you'll love what you learn).

And all questions — whether emotional or logical — fall into one of these three categories.

1. The Open-Door Question

Open-door questions allow the person being questioned to go wherever they want with their response. You want to give them room to move freely in the areas of their choosing.

With the open-door question, the wants, needs, desires, ideas, and opinions of the prospect are the focal points. Open-door questions are easy to answer because you are showing a sincere interest in your customer and they can sense it.

These questions are identified as the who, what, where, when, how, and why questions.

They may also begin with the phrases:

“What do you think about — ?”

“How do you feel about — ?”

“What is your biggest concern about — ?”

A word of caution here: don’t supply the answers! Ask the question and SHUT UP !!!

When you ask open-door questions, there will often be a moment of silence.

A pause is often necessary for the person to form an insightful and intelligent response to your questions. Learn to be still in that silence and let the customer respond.

2. The Closed-Door Question

If an open-door question is designed to allow the prospect to move freely wherever their thoughts take them, then the closed-door question is designed to keep them in a certain area for clarification or embellishment.

Closed-door questions begin with phrases like:

“Would you tell me more about this — ?”

“That’s fascinating — what do you mean by that — ?”

“What is your biggest challenge when it comes to — ?”

3. The Yes or No Question

This type of question demands a direct response.

One very important point: only use this question when you already know the answer.

Yes or no questions begin with phrases like:

Does everything I’ve explained so far make sense to you?

Does this price seem fair?

Would you like to go ahead and put in an offer now?

The danger of this kind of question is that if it is overused, it may be perceived as patronizing.

Yes or no questions allow you to test the waters and check on your progress in the sales process and see if you are getting buy-in from the customer based on the response.

Assume That You Know Nothing and Then Be Ready to Learn

      The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing. - Socrates

Learning to ask questions can be a bit of a challenge for some people.

Most salespeople are internally motivated, self-starters who thrive on having an answer for any question or objection that comes their way.

But learning to assume that you know nothing about your customer sets the stage for a mutually beneficial relationship. You learn exactly what your customer needs and they learn exactly how you can meet those needs.

As you harness the power of questions in your sales relationships you’ll become more than just another salesperson trying to make a buck.

You’ll become an invaluable asset — an “assistant buyer,” — and you’ll make more money along the way.