A Culture of Curiosity: Inquisitive Salespeople Make the Best Recruiters

If you ask franchise company executives to name the most important traits their franchise sales representatives should have, chances are they will say, “persistence,” “assertiveness,” and “the ability to be organized and follow up.” 

They are right. Those are important traits for any salesperson to have. But time and time again, I have seen that there is an even more important characteristic that the very best salespeople possess: curiosity.

Why curiosity? There are many reasons. The most important is that when franchise salespeople are curious in their approach to understanding their prospects, they uncover the prospect’s greatest personal ambitions and desires, and they can position your franchise to meet them.

They also discover the prospect’s greatest hesitations and fears about owning your franchise, so they can address them head-on and, if possible, stop them from paralyzing your prospect’s ability to move ahead with buying.

Genuine interest

You need salespeople genuinely and authentically curious to know and understand who your prospective owners are and what they are thinking. 

What questions should your salespeople ask your prospective owners? Here are some that I have seen work in powerful, revealing ways.

Background

Start by asking, “Can you tell me about yourself?” You can then ask: 

•  “Where are you from?” 
•  “Did you attend school, and what did you study?” 
•  “Who is in your family?” 
•  “What are the most powerful goals motivating you right now?” 
•  “What are your most powerful dreams for your children and family?”

Abilities

Next, ask, “What are your greatest strengths and skills?” Follow up with:

•  “Has your career allowed you to utilize your greatest abilities in the past?”
•  “What about your current job?”
•  “Can you describe what your ideal workday would be like?”

Work history

Dig into their pasts by asking, “Can we talk about your professional life up to now?” You can then ask: 

•  “What do you feel has been your greatest success until now? Why do you feel that way?”
•  “Is your current employer or work allowing you to fully express who you are? Is it limiting you?”
•  “What do you feel your greatest accomplishment has been? What skills did it bring out in you, and how could it have gone better?”
•  “Can you also describe something that did not go well for you in your work? Can we discuss why that might have happened?”

Look ahead

Now, look to the future by asking, “What would you most like to accomplish in your life?” Natural questions follow: 

•  “What would you like to be doing three years from now? How about in five or 10 years?”
•  “What would you like your financial security to look like three years from now? How about in five or 10 years?”
•  “What are your goals for your children and your family?”

Questions aren’t enough

They must be asked by an empathetic salesperson who listens actively, follows up, and digs deep and whose personal warmth encourages prospects to open up about themselves.

That is why it is key to recruit salespeople with the right kind of personalities to become more and more curious in their selling. Or if you already have a salesforce in place, it is critical to train them to be curious, interested in other people, listen actively, follow up on what prospects have said, and apply high levels of curiosity in their interactions with others. I encourage you to direct special attention to training current sales representatives who might have become set in their current way of selling. 

Teach the approach

•  Model the curious attitude you want your salespeople to practice. That means getting to know them, learning about their families, and understanding their motivations and ambitions.
•  Celebrate and reward team members who demonstrate curiosity in their work and lives. 
•  Follow up with new franchise owners after the sale to be sure they are adjusting and thriving as your franchisees. 

True curiosity is not about probing into someone’s private life or making them feel interrogated. Instead, it is about caring deeply about other people. When you genuinely care about people and encourage your salespeople to do the same, you have taken critical steps toward building a phenomenally successful franchise. 

Evan Hackel is CEO of Ingage Consulting and Delta Payment Systems and an advisor to Tortal Training. He is a thought leader in the fields of leadership and success and an author, speaker, and entrepreneur, who has been instrumental in launching more than 20 businesses and has managed a portfolio of brands with system-wide sales topping $5 billion. He is the creator of Ingaged Leadership and author of Reach him at ehackel@ingage.net, 781-820-7609, or evanhackel.com.