Learn how to use strategic, open-ended questions to guide the conversation, uncover pain points, and make the prospect sell themselves—instead of you pushing the sale.

IN THIS LESSON

Most average sales reps talk too much—they pitch, they over-explain, and they try to “convince” people to buy. But elite closers understand one truth:
👉 The person asking the questions controls the conversation.

In sales, your goal isn’t to “sell” but to guide prospects to their own conclusions. You do this by asking the right questions at the right time. When done correctly, good questions:
✔️ Make the prospect do the thinking (less resistance, more engagement)
✔️ Uncover pain points & emotions (the real reason they buy)
✔️ Position you as an expert (because experts ask, amateurs assume)
✔️ Lead the prospect to close themselves

If you’re struggling to move deals forward, you’re probably not asking enough of the right questions.

🧠 1. Why Questions Are Your Strongest Sales Tool

🛠️ 2. Training Drills: How to Master Question-Based Selling

To train this skill, you need intentional practice—just like an athlete drills the same motion over and over. Here’s how to sharpen your ability to ask good questions:

🪞 1. The Mirror Drill: “Why, How, What”
Stand in front of a mirror and take a simple question like:

“Are you open to looking at how solar works?”

Now, rewrite it using why, how, and what to make it open-ended and engaging:

❌ “Do you want to save money?” (Yes/No = dead-end)
✅ “How has your electric bill changed over the last few years?”
✅ “What concerns do you have about switching to solar?”
✅ “Why do you think so many homeowners are going solar now?”

Practice these aloud until open-ended questions become your default.

📱 2. Record & Playback Your Sales Calls
Grab a real sales call (or roleplay recording) and listen to it.

  • Count how many open-ended vs. closed-ended questions you asked.

  • Identify where you could have dug deeper with better questions.

  • Rewrite 3–5 better questions for the next call.

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re speaking more than the prospect, you’re not asking enough questions.

🎧 3. Rapid Fire Roleplay: “Keep Digging”
With a partner, take turns only asking questions for 2 minutes.

  • No statements, no pitching—just questions.

  • Force yourself to keep going deeper.

  • Example:

    • “What made you start looking into solar?”

    • “What’s the biggest frustration with your current setup?”

    • “How do you see this benefiting your home long-term?”

This drill trains you to stack questions naturally, keeping the prospect engaged.

🚀 3. Practical Application: Questioning Frameworks

Now that you’ve trained the skill, let’s break it into a simple question flow you can use in real sales conversations.

1️⃣ Problem Awareness Questions (Help them realize the issue)

  • “How do you feel about your electric bill lately?”

  • “What’s your biggest frustration with [utility provider]?”

2️⃣ Pain Expansion Questions (Make the pain real)

  • “What happens if rates keep rising another 10 years?”

  • “How does that impact your monthly budget?”

3️⃣ Solution Questions (Lead them to their own conclusion)

  • “What would it mean to you to lock in a lower energy cost?”

  • “How would it feel to never worry about rate hikes again?”

By using these strategically, you let the prospect sell themselves—which removes resistance and makes closing feel natural.