Until now,
there's been plenty of excuses
for a lack of great questioning by Sellers
Here's 6 Reasons Why These Scenarios Need To Be Revisited
1. The knowledge and skill of creating & asking questions is not an explicit part of the curriculum at business schools or executive education programs. Emphasis is more focused on getting the right answers versus knowing how to ask the right questions.
2. During the interview process, You rarely determine whether a Sales Candidate has the competency to structure, prepare, & ask great questions. Additionally, Questioning as a skill is also rarely addressed during New Hire Training or part of the On-Boarding Process.
3. Far to many "less tenured" sales managers are not equipped to offer help with more effective questioning because their exposure to advanced questioning is generally no better than that of their reps.
4. Buyers are now using Sellers questions as a way of differentiating potential value of one sales rep from another.
5. One of the reasons why sales reps may struggle to gain access to higher-level executives is an inability to ask thought-provoking questions. When utilized, these questions would signal to an executive they're speaking to a Seller with relevant experience and insight.
6. Reps haven't been taught much beyond the 6 W's (who - what - where - when - which - why) and unfortunately, leads them to the most commonly used opening to a question...
"Can you tell me"__________? As a Seller, are you really sure you want to sound like the last 4 reps that the Buyer spoke to, but did not buy from?
What We Deliver
Sellers receive the requisite knowledge and increased functional capability to secure casual & critical data, to better understand issues & challenges that shape business requirements, to improve their status and position within the buying organization, to gain competitive advantage in negotiations, and to create distinction and differentiation as a seller via effective use of a broad range of advanced questioning styles and techniques.
The Art of Asking Great B2B Questions
What Competencies Does The Master Class Address?
YES...Questioning Is A Competency or Should Be !!!
The Significant Role That Questions Play In Selling & Life
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Most Everything That Exists Was An Answer To A Question
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Human Nature Is More Drawn By Questions Than Statements
The Mona Lisa of Sales Skills, Higher-Order Questioning
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Differentiating Yourself By The Questions You Ask
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Asking Purposeful - Intentful - Thought-Provoking Questions
Getting 2 For 1 With Two-Sided Questions
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Illuminating Both Buyer & Seller
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Requiring Anticipation - Intent - Strong Word Selection
Going Broad & Deep With Funneling Questions
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Specialized Approach To Guiding Conversations
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Questioning Broad To Narrow & Narrow To Broad
Brainstorming In The Questioning Tree
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Strategic Approach To Brainstorming Fresh Questions
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The Process Improves The Quality
Becoming More Persuasive
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Be Humbly Aware This Isn't Easy
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Building Trust & Credibility Via Ethos - Pathos - Logos
The Two Faces of Lower Order Questions
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The Bane Of Existence For Many Sellers
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The Strategic Use Of Closed-ended Questions
Socratic Questions For The 21st Century
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Minimize Assumptions For Both Buyer & Seller
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Utilizing Analytical & Comparative Questioning
Stifling Competitors Via Isolation Questions
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Securing High-Value Information
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Maximizing Your Unique Attributes & Benefits
Create The Eureka Moment With Futurist Questions
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Take Buyers Outside Of Their Own Paradigm
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Asking Questions That Excite & Or Disrupt Thinking
How To Structure & Frame Great Questions
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Focusing On The Outcome
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Questioning With Intent - Purpose - Perspective
I’m Asking Great Questions, Now What…Listen!
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Why We're Poor Listeners
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Distinction Between Hearing & Listening
PS...THESE TOPICS WILL ALSO TAKE
YOUR NEGOTIATION SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Contact us to discuss our negotiations offering...
a perfect synergy between
"Advanced Questioning & Better Negotiations"
Workshops Delivered Virtually & f2f
(when deemed safe & appropriate)
SCORM Compliant e-Learning
"The Great Aim of Education Is Not Knowledge But Appropriate Action" Herbert Spenser
The Skill of Advanced Questioning Requires Multiple Disciplines
How Great Sellers Differentiate Themselves !
Planning
Curiosity
Intent
Purpose
Structure
Planning: Advanced Questions Require A Proactive Approach
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Understand the roles and responsibilities of the individuals being quired
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Determine the objectives for the conversation
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Anticipate surprises that may arise during the conversation (new people, different agenda, objections, etc)
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Working backward, think of 1 or 2 general questions, when answered, lead up to your first key question
Curiosity: Without This Behavior You're Just Another Average Seller
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Driven by truly wanting to solve a problem versus just selling something
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Seek insights prior to problem arising, causation of trigger event, current status & consequences of actions,
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Additionally, what does the future state look like and what are the expected payoffs
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Extends the conversation beyond the scope of the problem revealing greater value, and potential innovations
Intent: Being Viewed As Someone Who Understands The Buyers Business & Industry
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Viewed as being more relevant than any other competitive seller and also being a great listener
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Create an atmosphere of collaboration, that we're truly in this together
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Broaden and Extend relationships through Operations, Management, Executive levels
Purpose: By End of Conversation, Have The Buyer "Think - Feel - Know " S omething of Value & Relevance
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This requires forward thinking and a focus on being outcome focused
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Get through the conversation without "winging it"
Structure: Thought-provoking questions don't happen by accident
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Structure is comprised of perspectives, financial - technical - strategical - operational - innovative etc.
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Consider the type of question being asked - specific opening & use of illuminating words - focused topic
The Business & Personal Outcomes Realized From A Master Class On Questioning?
Business
Increased Accuracy of Forecast
Decreased Reliance Upon Discounting
More Thoroughly Qualified Opportunities
Reduces Misunderstandings & Assumptions
Greater Precision Executing Your Sales Process
Fosters Critical & Creative Thinking Both Internal & External
Increased Effectiveness Utilizing Executive & Technical Resources
Relationship Accelerates While Broadening To Other Critical Issues
More Collaborative Atmosphere Leads To Establishing Trust & Credibility
Improves Negotiating Position Via Quantity & Quality Of Information Gained
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Personal
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Seller Enjoys Greater Confidence
More Effective At Defusing Negative Or Difficult Situations
Seller Obtains Increased Quantity & Quality Of Information
Seller Viewed As More Consultative - Competent - Relevant
Increased Collaboration Enables Introduction Of New Ideas
More Adept at Negotiating Based On Greater Understanding
Viewed More Frequently As Trusted Advisor & Critical Resource
Human Nature Is More Interested In Questions Versus Statements
Set Tone For Extracting Buyer Insights, Opinions, Feelings & Beliefs
Thought-provoking Questions Are Foundational To Becoming Persuasive
If Questions Are The Engine, Then Words Are The Fuel
Here is where the real work takes place, questions require words, and the words you choose really matter !
2Question addresses the selection of words in the context of structuring questions for greater effectiveness. The sequencing of questions, why and how they need to be connected and delivered for optimum effect is addressed. What words are used to form questions that are designed to create an open and collaborative dialog? Which action verbs are more effective than others in creating a sense of urgency? Which words actually pull your buyer emotionally closer to you, and which have an opposite effect? Which words actually lead a buyer to a preferred conversation versus an alternative conversation?
THE BIGGEST IMPEDIMENT TO ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING (besides not listening) IS THE "AMBIGUITY" OF WORDS !
Both Buyers & Sellers frequently use a "common everyday word" thinking it's perfectly clear to each other. However, common words don’t necessarily have an equally shared meaning between Buyer & Seller. Example: Consider a question in which you’re asking about “the frequency of occurrence of a problem”. Think about how many degrees of intensity there are between "Always" and "Never". What are the words that suggest less than always, but more than never? How might that vagueness cause a miscalculation or a gap in your knowledge and your eventual point of view or recommendation? Think about the high probability for assumptions to exist between, always – usually – frequently – often – sometimes – occasionally – seldom – rarely - hardly ever, and never. In the mind of the Seller and Buyer, each of these common words likely carries a slightly different meaning. Consequently, a slightly different approach, solution offering, and value proposition may create just enough difference to lose to your competitor.
"The difference between knowledge and intelligence...
one provides the right answer and the other the right question" Albert Einstein