There’s a reason why most people hate police roadblocks in Zimbabwe. It’s not just the fines it’s the way the officer leans into your window with that face of suspicion, asking questions like: “Where are you coming from? Where are you going? Who owns this car? Why do your tyres look tired?”
By the time you’re done, you feel like you’re a wanted criminal instead of a citizen just trying to get to Mbare for tomatoes.
Now here’s the shocker: this is exactly how some salespeople sound when they’re doing “needs assessment.”
They bombard the client with questions like a CID officer interrogating someone: “How much do you make? How do you spend it? What software are you using? Who are your suppliers? How many employees do you have?”
And the client is sitting there thinking: “Ahh, this one wants to rob me!”
Sales Is Not Interrogation. It’s a Conversation.
The secret is to make your customer feel comfortable enough that they start talking freely sometimes even disclosing valuable information without realising it. That’s when you get the gold nuggets you need to close the deal.
Think about it like sitting at a family gathering. If you want to know how much your uncle earns, you don’t go straight to him and say: “So, uncle, how much do you get paid?” He’ll chase you away with a walking stick. But if you ask him about his new car, his school fees struggles, or how he built his house, he’ll eventually reveal the numbers without even noticing.
So, What Can We Learn From CID or FBI?
Now, let’s be fair to CID Mutorashanga and the FBI guys. At the end of the day, they are thorough. They leave no stone unturned and no detail unchecked. That’s exactly what makes them effective.
In sales, you do need that discipline of digging deep, but without the intimidation. Mix the thoroughness of CID with the friendliness of a trusted cousin. That’s the perfect formula.
How to Handle Prospects
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Ask indirectly. Instead of “What’s your budget?” try, “How much do you usually spend on solving challenges like this?”
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Make it conversational. Don’t fire questions like an FBI agent; let it flow like you’re chatting with a friend over sadza and stew.
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Listen more than you talk. People love to talk about themselves. Give them space.
The Bartender Effect
The best salespeople are like skilled bartenders. They don’t interrogate you about your problems; they make you so comfortable that you open up after two sips of a cold Castle Lite.
So, next time you sit with a client, remember this: don’t be CID Mutorashanga. But also don’t forget their one strength thoroughness. Be that friendly cousin who knows how to ask questions and get answers without raising suspicion.
Because in sales, it’s not the loudest interrogator who wins it’s the best listener with the sharpest follow-up.
By The Chartered Vendor
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