ood investigative reporters rely on the basic "Ws" to put together a strong story - who, where, when and why. They already know what they're going to write about. The successful sales professionals utilize these same principles. They know what they're selling. They need to find out the why, where, who and when of the sale. Why Identifying a reason for buying is paramount to a successful presentation. Knowing what motivates your prospect will help you position your product or service to make the sale. How do you identify the why? The prospect's answers to the following questions will provide invaluable info: What motivated you to meet with me? You haven't used a [check, bankcard service] in the past, have you? What prompted you to shop for one today? How does my service fit with your business plan? What do you expect from this service? Where Once you've investigated why a merchant wants a service such as yours, now you need to find where the decision power lies. Ask these questions to determine the decision-maker:

Is the responsibility of this decision spread across several people? How many people are involved in purchasing decisions? Will your supervisor have any input? Who will sign the contract? Who Awareness of the competition is critical. Knowing who your competition is will motivate you to perform at your peak. You'll also be in a position to highlight the special features and benefits your product and/or service offers that your competition doesn't. When the inevitable comparison is made, you'll be ready with answers to objections. Put these queries on the table:

What prompted you to meet with a representative from my company rather than another company? What other solutions have you considered? From your point of view, do we have any competition? When You've asked appropriate questions and have uncovered why the merchant is shopping for a payment service, where the decision power lies and who your competition is. All that's left is knowing when to go for the close. Go in too soon, and the prospect will feel threatened and back off from signing a deal. Go in too late, and the prospect will surely go elsewhere. Once again, posing pertinent questions will help you move at the perfect pace:

Are you planning to start right away or do you have a long-range plan? What steps do you normally take when making a purchasing decision like this? When would you like your terminal programmed and ready for transactions?