When you are partnering in your client’s success through filling wants versus needs, there is one revealing question which should follow every question you ask….. “Why?”
Even when you think the “why” is obvious, it is the answer to this powerful three letter word which will unveil what truly motivates your clients and prospects. It is this base motivation which will secure passionate long-term commitment.
Even when you think the “why” is obvious, it is the answer to this powerful three letter word which will unveil what truly motivates your clients and prospects. It is this base motivation which will secure passionate long-term commitment.
For example, a client may tell you her goal is to double her sales over the next five years. You may, in turn, may presume they simply want to make more money. But after asking “Why?” you may discover she really wants to create a more saleable entity so that she can sell the business and retire to Tahiti.
Helping your prospect keep her eye on the ‘Tahiti ball’ will ensure more long term thinking and help you to avoid the desire for instant gratification.
Often the initial answers to your traditional what, where, when and how, will only tell you the client’s proposed means to and end…..not their end or dream.
By focusing on their vision instead of the means or methods, you are assured more buy-in, commitment and follow-through from your client. And more importantly, you may even be able to offer a better means to their end than the method they originally proposed.
In that case, you will take your relationship to yet another enhanced level.
You will notice that asking “why?” will always provoke more thought and more passion than the simple what, where, when and how traditionally asked in needs or solution-based selling.
Don’t be afraid of the silence that follows “why?”…..it means you are really getting to the heart of the matter. In fact, even after you’ve gotten the deeper more meaningful answers to your prospects inner motivation, you might want to dig even deeper by asking, “Are you sure?”
Remember, these are deep partnering discussions….discussions your client probably had with themselves in the past, but in the day-to-day realities of running a business they often loose sight of their original dream or vision.
As the facilitator to re-visiting their dreams, your meetings will be like a breath of fresh air to your new-found “partner”.