There is great power in a rhetorical question. Bernie Cornfield proved it.  He pioneered the selling of mutual funds in the 1950s. He started with the question, “Do you sincerely want to be rich?” The short answer for most people was, “Yes.” He used this rhetorical question to power his organization that employed 25,000 salespeople at the height of his success.

Rhetorical questions can also be very powerful in closing sales.

Often customers buy products on a pre-decided schedule. For example, I had the responsibility for corporate purchasing years ago where an office machine might have a three-year lease. The company holding the lease would typically come in three or four months before the expiration time to renew or sell me a new or upgraded machine, likely at a more expensive price. Other salesmen might also try to interest me in a new machine, but at the wrong time. I turned them away because I wasn’t currently in the market for another copy machine. Not one ever asked me what the renewal date was so they could schedule a call before I signed with somebody else.

I am amazed at how few real estate agents stay in touch with customers and prospects after a sale. The average homeowner moves every 5 to 7 years.  Each instance will require a real estate agent to sell a home and possibly assist with the acquisition of a new place.  Real estate sales are very competitive, and the commissions are rather substantial so investing time to keep in touch with former customers is smart.  By asking how the family is doing, if the family is growing or whether kids are leaving home; the wise agent can be first in line for an additional commission.

Amazon does a good job of sending reminders suggesting buying a product again.  While I tend to find these annoying, I believe they are effective in selling product.

King David wanted to make things right with the Gibeonites, a tribe Saul had wronged.  Scripture says that “David asked the Gibeonites, ‘What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?’" (2 Samuel 21:3, NIV) 

Every business and the individuals who run them will occasionally fall short. A key question is what we do in those circumstances. In the situation scripture notes, David did not just walk away or make an arbitrary decision based on what he felt the wronged tribe should receive. He asked. He wanted to know what they thought should be done to make reparation for the wrong. 

Jerome McCarthy identified four priorities in marketing.  He called them the four P’s: product, price, place and promotion. In marketing we do well to follow them because when any of these elements fails, the marketing campaign falls apart.

Product

In my view, the product or service delivery is the most important.  The best marketing materials will fail to generate repeat business if the product or service delivery falls short of expectations. Remember, expectations minus reality equals disappointment.

Quality is subjective to some degree. Quality partly depends on our expectations and the price we pay for them. If I walk into a McDonald’s for an Egg McMuffin, my expectations are considerably lower than if I go to a resort serving a wonderful breakfast for $25. Either option may fall short on quality. The McDonald’s breakfast may sit in the warming tray for 45 minutes or the resort breakfast could be disappointing, but our expectations are different in each situation.