Truth IV: Ask Powerful Questions

It is easier to find men, who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.
- Julius Caesar

Learning to ask powerful questions is an art; learning to truly listen to the prospect is a skill, which needs to be developed. Listening helps to build trust and conveys openness to hearing another person’s concerns or ideas. Your goal as a salesperson should be to find out as much about the prospect as you possibly can while talking as little as you can. It is vitally important to gather as much information about your prospects as possible because it allows you to stay in control.

Begin by asking open-ended and broad questions to find what their dominant drivers are. Dominant drivers are reasons why people will make a decision based on a result that will help them avoid pain or avoid loosing something. Then, probe specifically to uncover the specific ways their problems or issues may be affecting them. The better salesperson becomes at finding PAIN, the more sales they will make.

Ask Powerful Questions to Find Your Prospect’s PAIN and Solution:

• Gain insight into what PROBLEMS the company might be facing
• What ANXIETY keeps them awake at night?
• Discover what their INTERESTS are
• Figure out how your product fits in with their NEEDS