Whether you’re calling a new prospect or an old customer, don’t make the mistake of asking the same old questions. The first (and worst!) that most people think to ask is “Are you hiring?” What if they say no? Then you’ve just effectively ended the conversation before it’s had a chance to start.

If you ask the same questions, you’ll get the same answers, and these answers won’t get you anywhere. When you’re making sales calls, adjust your mindset. Instead of seeking out orders, try to uncover new avenues within the account and figure out the challenges the customer faces. Once you’ve uncovered those problems, you can propose a solution. Just ask your prospects the right questions and listen. They will tell you what they need help with, then you can give it to them.

If you are talking to a new customer, try to qualify them quickly and effectively to make sure you’re talking to the right person. Try questions such as:

• How will or does your company select the service they will use?
• What is your role in this process?
• Who else will be involved in the decision?
• Will they need the information I am giving you?
• What are the primary keys to earning your business?
• Are you absolutely locked into a particular service?

Once you’ve established that you have the right contact person, try to assess their feelings about using staffing services. Try asking questions like:

1. What is your customer staffing strategy? How was it designed and implemented?
2. What are your greatest successes using temp staffing services? What made these experiences “successful?”
3. What’s the worst staffing experience you’ve had? What are the details?
4. How do you measure the effectiveness of your staffing vendors? How do you ensure that you are using your vendors in the most effective way possible?
5. What percentage of your employee base or business do you want to outsource?
6. Do you experience seasonal shifts in your staffing needs?
7. Is there anything else that I should know that will help me deliver the best staffing services possible to you and your company?

The use of questions in the selling process is a learned skill. If you want to improve your sales call to close ratio, then you must develop your ability to get the customer involved in the communication process. Asking questions allows you to listen more, talk less and make more sales.