International Sales

International Sales Best Practice – Ask The Right Questions

by on 6 July, 2009

International Sales Best Practices

Today is the first cross-cultural communication tip on how to avoid assumptions and get extreme with clarity.

CCCCTipsCalendarClarity70 International Sales Best Practice   Ask The Right Questions CCCC Tip #6 -
Ask follow up questions to confirm mutual understanding.

Remember to download the free calender for an easy reference to all of the 30 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tips on clarity.

Most sales professionals recognize the value of good questions.  In cross-cultural communication, the right questions are key to establishing clarity.

How does this tie in with international sales best practices?

Cross-Cultural Communication Skills & Sales Best Practices

Here is a quote to remember from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Sales Answers.

gitomerlittleredbookofsalesanswers tn International Sales Best Practice   Ask The Right Questions

“I guarantee you that more sales are lost with poor questions and poor salesmanship than are lost to lowest price.” – Jeffrey Gitomer

The most successful international professionals are masters at finding the right questions to ask.

The first 5 cross-cultural communication tips in this series are about listening.  Listening helps you to pick up any areas of your communication where you need more clarity. Asking the right questions helps you to bring clarity to your cross-cultural communication.

This is the first step in avoiding the wrong assumptions.

Although some people are better than others at finding the right questions to ask, this is a skill that improves with experience.

Great questions bring great results.  In cross-cultural communication great questions can speed up the sales cycle and in some case they make the sale much easier.  Great questions help create the connection and they also help build trust.

What Is Your Experience Of This In International Sales?

  • Did you ever look back on a cross-cultural communication and see that you missed a question?
  • How you often need to ask questions to clarify understanding in your cross-cultural communication?
  • Do you think you can ask better questions in your cross-cultural communication?

If so, please share your comments below. I’d love to hear your stories!

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"Cindy is a real authority on all things international marketing.
She is who I turn to when I have questions and you should too"

-- Chris Garrett, co-author of the "Problogger" book
  • http://twitter.com/customersmatter/statuses/2503990624 customersmatter (FJ Cuen)

    cindyking International Sales Best Practice ? Ask The Right Questions: International Sales Best P.. http://tinyurl.com/l89r3q

  • http://www.wchingya.com Ching Ya

    I do believe so. People are always out there finding solutions for their problems. If the marketer is able to capture the right moment, ask the right question, not only customers will be convinced by his experience, they will be more comfortable in continuing while clearing off any doubt there is along the way. A smooth conversation will ensure higher success rate in sales-making. ^^ Great post, Cindy!

    @wchingya
    Social/Blogging Tracker
    .-= Ching Ya´s last blog ..16 Misconceptions About ‘Serious’ Blogging =-.

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