You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for today's lesson on doing business at a trade show.
Trade shows are great opportunities for finding potential customers.
And if you've got the right attitude and communication skills, you should be able to make some sales.
Now, if you've managed to make a connection with a strong lead and the person comes back for a second appointment, what do you do next?
How do you know you've got a real buyer in front of you and not just someone fishing around for information?
You can't just let a prospect browse your catalog and ask you questions.
You need to take charge and find out exactly what and who you're dealing with.
Questioning skills are key, and this is what we'll focus on today.
We'll start by looking at how to ask open-ended questions.
Then we'll get into asking about needs, buying authority, budgets, and timelines.
If you can do this right, you'll be in a great position to actually make a sale.
We'll join Jenny, who works for a packaging company called Deepak.
She's sitting down with a potential customer named Andrew, who has returned, for a chat about Deepak's products.
Jenny is going to ask a lot of questions to assess what Andrew needs and how Deepak can help.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does Andrew say his company needs?
2.
Why does Jenny ask Andrew if he's a purchasing manager?
3.
When does Andrew's company need the work done?
Really glad you could stop by again, Andrew.
So you're looking for packaging solutions?
Well, yes.
We're a mid-sized retailer, a few large stores on the East Coast, but most of our sales are online.
And we're looking to save a bit of money, but we're not really interested in cutting corners on quality, if you know what I mean.
Of course.
That is perfectly understandable.
And can you give me an idea of what exactly you need?
Packing solutions for shipping?
Or product packaging?
Well, for now, we're looking for a redesign and well, a complete overhaul on the packaging for our house brand of kitchenware.
So we're looking at custom boxes, labels, and plastic wrap for some items.
There are about 30 items in the line, though that will likely expand next year.
Okay, that sounds perfectly doable.
We've handled exactly this kind of thing before.
I can show you what we did.
But tell me, is there a budget for this whole redesign process?
Or are you just scoping out your options for now?
No, we have a budget, but we have a pretty tight one.
And so now we're really just talking to different companies to find out who can do what within our framework.
OK.
And you're a purchasing manager, is that right?
I mean, this is your decision?
You bet.
It's my job to find and make the right deal for our company.
Super.
Now, what kind of turnaround are you looking at?
Are you hoping to roll things out before the end of the year?
Yeah well, the holiday season is 30 to 40 of our business, so we definitely need to roll it out by September at the very latest.
Gotcha.
What would we do without that holiday season?
Now, what are you looking at in terms of volume?
Now let's go through the dialogue again and take a closer look at the language and techniques Jenny used to analyze Andrew's needs.
Really glad you could stop by again, Andrew.
So you're looking for packaging solutions?
After saying she's glad Andrew could meet, Jenny begins the discussion with a very open-ended question.
She asks, So, you're looking for packaging solutions?
Of course, she doesn't want a simple yes or no answer.
She wants to give Andrew a chance to describe the general situation.
In this way, she can get a bit of information and then move forward with some more specific questions.
Asking open-ended questions is important, especially at the beginning of a sales meeting.
It can help you get valuable information and make the person feel that you're interested.
Let's practice some more examples of questions that can get a customer talking.
Tell me a little about what your company does.
Your main products are fuel cells, aren't they?
So, what's new and exciting at Appleby Designs?
Now, let's hear how Andrew responds.
Well yes, we're a mid-sized retailer, a few large stores on the East Coast, but most of our sales are online.
And we're looking to save a bit of money, but we're not really interested in cutting corners on quality, if you know what I mean.
Of course.
That is perfectly understandable.
And can you give me an idea of what exactly you need?
Packing solutions for shipping?
Or product packaging?
Andrew describes his company and emphasizes that they want to save some money but don't want to cut corners on quality.
In other words, they don't want things done poorly or too cheaply.
He says, if you know what I mean, to make sure that Jenny understands.
Jenny states confidently that she does.
She then tries to find out more exactly what Andrew's company is looking for.
First, she asks an open question, saying, can you give me an idea about exactly what you need?
She then gives a couple of possibilities, so that Andrew knows what kind of response she's looking for.
Assessing a customer's needs like this is one of the first things you do in a sales meeting.
With this information, you can focus on the products and services that are most suitable.
Listen to some more examples of a salesperson asking a customer about needs.
Which products in your line are you looking to redesign?
What do you need tracking software to do for you?
Can you tell me a little about your current printing challenges?
Now, let's get back to the dialogue.
Well, for now, we're looking for a redesign and well, a complete overhaul on the packaging for our house brand of kitchenware.
So we're looking at custom boxes, labels and plastic wrap for some items.
There are about 30 items in the line, though that will likely expand next year.
Okay, that sounds perfectly doable.
We've handled exactly this kind of thing before.
I can show you what we did.
But tell me, is there a budget for this whole redesign process?
Or are you just scoping out your options for now?
Andrew explains that his company wants completely new packaging for their house brand of kitchenware.
A retailer's house brand is the products that they produce themselves, as opposed to products that they sell that other companies make.
Andrew says there are about 30 items in the line, or entire set of products.
Based on this simple description of needs, Jenny says that it's perfectly doable.
As you may be able to guess, this means that they are able to do it.
To support this statement.
Jenny explains that Deepak has handled or done the same type of project before.
She even offers to show Andrew what they did.
But first, she wants to talk a bit about money.
Jenny asks if there's an actual budget for the project or whether Andrew is just looking at or scoping out different options.
Of course, knowing whether a customer has a clearly defined budget can help you figure out how serious the person is.
You can also suggest solutions that they can afford.
Let's hear some more examples of how you can do this.
Ideally, what do you want the entire package to cost?
Have you got a price range in mind yet?
We can do this for $9 apiece or $12 depending on quality and turnaround.
Are you closer to $9 or $12?
Now, let's listen as Andrew responds to the budget question.
No, we have a budget, but we have a pretty tight one.
And so now we're really just talking to different companies to find out who can do what within our framework.
OK, and you're a purchasing manager, is that right?
I mean, this is your decision?
Andrew says there is a budget, but describes it as tight.
If a budget is tight, it means it's not very flexible and not very large.
He adds that they are talking to different companies to find out what they can get for their price.
So Jenny doesn't get an exact dollar figure, but at least she knows that Andrew's company is serious.
Her next concern is about buying authority.
That is, who is actually going to make the spending decision.
As a salesperson, you usually hope to talk to that person, him or herself.
Jenny asks about this indirectly at first, and then a little more directly.
You're a purchasing manager, is that right?
She says.
This sets up her more direct question.
I mean, this is your decision.
Now listen to some more examples of asking about buying authority.
Notice that these questions are politely indirect, or softened by giving an alternative.
Are you able to make a decision today or do you need to run this by someone first?
Do you generally deal with purchases or is that someone else?
And if we need to discuss the price can I deal directly with you?
Do you need to include a manager in the negotiations, or can we get moving on this today?
You bet.
It's my job to find and make the right deal for our company.
Super.
Now, what kind of turnaround are you looking at?
Are you hoping to roll things out before the end of the year?
Andrew says, you bet, to confirm that he is responsible for making a deal.
Next, Jenny wants to know about timelines.
To get this information, she asks what kind of turnaround Andrew is looking at or considering.
She then asks a bit more specifically whether they want to roll things out before the end of the year.
Rolling something out means introducing something to market.
How else can we politely ask a potential customer about timelines?
When would you like to have these delivered by?
What sort of turnaround are you looking at on this?
We can do overnight order processing if necessary.
Is that something you think you'll need?
Have you set a deadline for this phase of the project?
Let's continue with the dialogue.
Yeah well, the holiday season is 30 to 40 of our business, so we definitely need to roll it out by September at the very latest.
Gotcha.
What would we do without that holiday season?
Now, what are you looking at in terms of volume?
With the holiday season being so important for sales, Andrew gives September as the latest possible time.
They'd want to roll out the new packaging.
Jenny shows she understands by saying, what would we do without the holiday season?
She then asks what they are looking at in terms of volume.
In this case, looking at just means thinking about.
The conversation continues, but we leave it there for today.
We've got a good sense of the questioning techniques Jenny is using to find out Andrew's exact needs and expectations.
Now, let's practice some of the language we've learned in today's lesson.
We're going to start with a role-play practice.
You'll play the role of a trade show rep who works for a furniture company.
You're going to talk to a potential customer and analyze his needs.
You'll need to start by asking an open-ended question to get an idea of the project and then ask about the budget, buying authority and time frame.
At each step, you'll hear a cue given by the potential customer.
Then, I'll give you some suggestions for the language you can use to respond.
We'll guide you through each step of the practice and play an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
As I said, we're hoping to update both the furniture and the decoration.
Respond by asking the customer about his needs.
In particular, how many offices they need updated.
Okay, and can you tell me how many offices need updating?
We'd like to start with 10 offices and our main conference room.
Now, ask the customer what kind of budget they have for the project.
I see.
And what kind of budget do you have for the project?
Well, we're hoping to spend no more than $20,000.
Now ask whether the customer can approve the purchase on his own.
That sounds doable.
And are you able to approve this purchase on your own?
Yes, it's up to me to find the right company for the job.
Finish off by asking the customer what their timeline is for the project.
Great.
And what's your timeline for this project?
Now, let's practice useful vocabulary and idioms.
You'll hear a series of sentences with the words replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear... Without cutting... There's no way to build this on time.
You can say... Without cutting corners, there's no way to build this on time.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
With such a tight... We're going to need the staff to do overtime.
Answer.
With such a tight turnaround, we're going to need the staff to do overtime.
I know it's... but is it practical?
Answer.
I know it's doable, but is it practical?
Simon wants to roll this by Monday.
Answer.
Simon wants to roll this out by Monday.
You might be interested in our new of industrial cleaners.
Answer. you might be interested in our new line of industrial cleaners.
As well as asking about needs, buying authority, budgets, and timelines.
Be sure to tune in for the next lesson when we'll hear Jenny try to make a deal with Andrew.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
