By gaining experience in your profession, and perhaps having followed training for this, you can call yourself an advisor. And with that knowledge you can offer customers the most optimal recommendation. Let's hope that customers will also listen to your advice...

The question is with what expectations and prior knowledge a customer comes to the store. No advisor, no matter how good at his job, knows this in advance. So don't let your own knowledge get in the way and ask questions, questions and more questions. 

Asking questions not only gives you insight into the customer's wishes, but also gives you the opportunity to guide the conversation. Moreover, it puts your customer at ease. Want to know how to ask the best questions? I'll give you five tips:

1. Always keep the purpose of the question in mind. And that does not always have to be about the best service. Also feel free to ask personal questions to get to know each other better. It results in better cooperation. Then move on to questions about the problem the customer came to the store for.

• Take your time. Some people think while talking, while others first think about the answer and then give it. So it is not a problem at all if there is silence.

• Be sincere. Look people in the eye and don't ask questions 'because you have to'. Customers can sense exactly whether someone shows genuine interest or completes a series of questions. 

• At the end, test whether the questions asked have led to the correct solution. So ask questions: 'So you are looking for an installation with which you can listen to your favorite music?'

• Ask some questions. A common mistake is when people pile on questions. For example, sometimes as many as five questions are asked in one sentence. Where the first question is often the best, and the customer answers the last. 

These are just five tips for asking questions. If you want to know more, you can always ask me. j.jobing@kennethsmit.com