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APRIL/MAY 2008
Don't Waste this Opportunity!
”What do you do?” is one of the most frequently asked questions, but also one of the greatest opportunities. Bill Whitley, a well known sales expert, tells us, “Everyone you meet is either a buyer or knows one.” Don’t waste this opportunity by answering, “I am in sales.” Every day we are meeting people and talking about what we do. In my book, The House & the Cloud, I encourage the use of an APS (advisory positioning statement). If you’ve read this book, you may recall the “You know how…” questions.
Whitley, in a recent interview, explained how having a great question can make the difference between light hearted conversation and new business. The following is an excerpt from a recent article published by Bill Whitely.
"David Stelzl puts a unique spin on security - extremely thought provoking and enlightening"....Jon Hyosaka, CIO of SXC Health Solutions
Find out more by visiting us at www.stelzl.us |
Your questions establish who you are
When you ask a prospect a great question, they stop and think. At first they think about their answer, but they also think about you. Your questions establish who you are. Great questions separate the people who are there to help from the people who are there to make a sale.
Here’s a good example, I was recently talking with a top financial advisor and I asked him how he engaged customers. “I have one key question” he said, “I start every meeting by asking, how was money treated when you were growing up?” What a powerful question. He said after asking that one question, his prospective customers would talk for the next fifteen minutes, while he listened and took notes. That one question told him everything he needed to know to diagnose the situation, formulate an investment strategy and offer solid advice. Of course he wanted to know his client’s financial goals, but that usually flowed out of his first question.
To develop Advisor Questions, focus on understanding three key things:
1. Where are they now?
2. Where are they trying to go?
3. What factors holds them back or boosts them along?
Business owners only care about four things
As you formulate your Advisor Questions, keep in mind that business owners only care about four things:
1. Growing their business
2. Increasing profit
3. Retaining customers
4. Retaining employees
Your goal is to ask questions that establish you as the kind of person that they respect and trust. You also need to ask questions that are natural and easy to ask. And of course ask questions that get you the information you need to diagnose the situation and prescribe the best solution.
One last thought on questions. I hope this is obvious by now, but I’ll go ahead and say it. When it comes to questions, don’t just wing it. You should have a handful of great questions that you rely on every time you meet with a customer. I think of them as my favorite five questions.
So how about you, do you have great questions? I challenge you to create, refine and use Advisor Questions. If you do, you will position yourself early in the conversation as the kind of person they want to buy from.
Bill Whitley helps businesses attract more customers. He is a professional speaker and sales consultant and can be contacted at bill@billwhitley.com or 704-996-2800.
Please pass this on to anyone you know who is working to build a profitable solutions business today. Consider having David Stelzl speak at your next quarterly meeting or customer event. Create a value proposition that positions you as the expert and attracts new clients. Consider hiring a professional coach to accelerate the process.
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