Salespeople need to master 'hot potato interviews'

The world of sales may have evolved over the years but the fundamental principles all salespeople learnt at the beginning are still applicable today and one of those is engaging prospects in a "hot potato interview".

Clayton Shold, writing on salesopedia, said that these kinds of client meetings are what all sales professionals should be aiming for, as the onus is on the customer to reveal more about how they feel about a product or service.

He stated that the key is to get the client talking, with the role of the salesperson being to look out for flags and then build their approach around the customer's needs, which is an area where a sales consultancy could provide expert guidance.

"The best interviews are 'hot potato interviews' - metaphorically you keep tossing the hot potato back to the prospect - get them to do the talking. Tell me more ... describe what you mean ... why is that important to you?" Mr Shold added.

Mark Hunter, a motivational sales speaker, recently echoed this point on the Sales Hunter blog, stating that short and simple questions allow the customer to drive the conversation and provide relevant answers.