The “Does That Make Sense” Question – Does It Work?
Does that make sense?
This is a common question used by Sales Professionals and Business Owners, just before they transition to a new section of their sales process; whether it be asking questions or presenting.
But does the “Does that make sense” question actually work – or is it overused?
In this article, we’ll look at whether it still works, when it doesn’t work, and what other questions you can ask in its place.
The “Does That Make Sense” Question – Does It Work?
The Problem With “Does That Make Sense?”
The issue with the “Does that make sense” question in sales, is that people usually use it as a one-liner when transitioning from one part of their sales process to the next.
There are a number of issues with using the question with this intent; as doing so can be harmful to your sales efforts.
First of all, using it as your go-to transition question will sound repetitive, and take away the authenticity from the question and yourself.
By using it over and over as the transition question, your potential client will get wind of this, which can in fact break rapport.
It’s important to mix it up with other questions and use the questions genuinely; which we’ll touch more on in this article.
Secondly, by using the “Does that make sense” statement regularly, you can in fact confuse your potential client. It sort of implies that they should understand what you’ve just said, which is making an assumption.
Assumptions can hurt your sales, because you’re implying something rather than asking questions to further understand their situation or stance.
Instead, we recommend changing the statement to “Does that make sense to you so far?”, or “How does that sound to you?”
Repetitiveness and using “Does that make sense” as a transition question is what can hurt your sales. Mix it up and understand the basis of what it should be used for; which we’ll be covering shortly.
What Should Be The Purpose Of The “Does That Make Sense?” Question
Many Sales Professionals ask questions like “Does that make sense” because they’re hunting for the yes in their sales dialogue.
One of the old-school sales methodologies, is to get as many yes’s as you possibly can; and you’ll win the sale.
This however is flawed and doesn’t get clear on what you should actually be focusing on.
Instead – you should be asking a question, or perhaps demonstrating something (only during your sales presentation phase), and then finding out whether they have any questions, or if any feedback about what you’ve just discussed.
Finally; instead of chasing a yes – you should be getting buy in and agreement.
One of the most important parts we teach in The 5% Sales Blueprint, is to get agreement from your potential client, because when they agree – they start selling themselves.
How To Get Buy In & Agreement
As mentioned, we should be using “Does that make sense” as a transition question, and just to get a yes.
Using “Does that make sense” as a transition question will sound repetitive and break rapport.
If you use it to get a yes; you’re using it incorrectly.
Agreement is what you’re after.
When they agree, it’s now real to them.
The pain points, outlined desires and your presentation are no longer just ideas – and you’ve helped them become real.
The way in which you get agreement in your sales conversation, is by using something called tie down sales techniques.
Tie down sales techniques are questions you can ask to get agreement from your potential client, and to further clarify whether something in fact does or does not make sense.
By doing this, you’re leaving assumptions at the door, asking the right questions and taking control of your sales dialogue.
Related article: Tie Down Sales Techniques – Your Ultimate Guide
Types Of Alternative Questions To Ask Instead Of “Does That Make Sense?”
“Does that make sense” can work, as long as it isn’t repetitive, isn’t used as a transition question for simply patching some time during your conversation, and it used instead genuinely.
As previously mentioned, you can change up “Does that make sense” with “Does that make sense to you so far?”, or “How does that sound to you?”.
Other questions which are also helpful to replace “Does that make sense” with are:
- Are you with me so far?
- What do you think of that so far?
- Can you see how that works – or would you like me to expand?
- Does anything about that work for you?
- Is there anything we’ve discussed you’d like me to elaborate on so far?
- Sometimes this all can be a bit confusing – is there anything else I should unpack a bit more?
These questions are all designed to do a number of things.
They make your potential client feel comfortable, they get buy in and prevent assumptions, and also importantly – positions you as a consultative sales professional.
Final Thoughts
“Does that make sense” is an OK to use question when selling, however can be used against your sales process and efforts when used over and over – and with the wrong intent.
Instead, mix it up with other questions, and get agreement.
When they agree – they sell themselves, rather than you having to do all the hard selling yourself.
If you would like to learn more about consultative selling, you can register for our 7 day sales challenge here.
Want To Close Easily Without The Guesswork?
If you’re truly committed to learning how to reach success in sales and selling, you may be interested in our affordable and simple to use flagship program – The 5% Sales Blueprint.
Our online course is perfect for sales consultants, sales professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs who want to sell more consistently, without being pushy or using outdated sales tactics.
If you want to learn more about our program, simply click the link below to find out how.
