7/21/2025-ASK further…qualify!
Published on
Skill
The buyer looks up from reviewing your proposal and says, "Yeah, it looks good." You think to yourself, "…awesome….but wait…WHAT looks good about it?"
Sooooo…why are you saving that convo between yourself? Ask the buyer.
Qualify them. Right then and there.
The buyer continues, "We might move this through the org and see what others think." Again, you think, "WHO exactly are you gonna send it to?"
ASK aloud!
Don’t squander the opportunity to learn what you need to know.
Speak up! Probe. Push. Quantify.
If your buyers make statements that need qualification, then qualify them!
The buyer looks up from reviewing your proposal and says, "Yeah, it looks good." You think to yourself, "…awesome….but wait…WHAT looks good about it?"
Sooooo…why are you saving that convo between yourself? Ask the buyer.
Qualify them. Right then and there.
The buyer continues, "We might move this through the org and see what others think." Again, you think, "WHO exactly are you gonna send it to?"
ASK aloud!
Don’t squander the opportunity to learn what you need to know.
Speak up! Probe. Push. Quantify.
If your buyers make statements that need qualification, then qualify them!
Do
Today, listen closely to what your buyer says, and immediately decide how generic and ambiguous their answers are.
Start with this basic move: "Tell me more."
If you’ve got that one down, then focus your qualifying questions on clarifying context and weight.
Context: "I’m glad you like our proposal…what specifically is appealing to you?"
Weight: "It’s good to hear feedback about that feature you like, how important is it to you?"
Today, listen closely to what your buyer says, and immediately decide how generic and ambiguous their answers are.
Start with this basic move: "Tell me more."
If you’ve got that one down, then focus your qualifying questions on clarifying context and weight.
Context: "I’m glad you like our proposal…what specifically is appealing to you?"
Weight: "It’s good to hear feedback about that feature you like, how important is it to you?"
Oomph
This entertaining "Questions Only" game from the Whose Line Is It Anyway show brilliantly illustrates the mental dexterity needed to ask questions when you’re in the moment.
This clip is fun – and funny – and shows how hard it is to stay curious and probe with questions.
Indeed, your job isn’t to interrogate your customers, but how often do you give up or worse, NOT ask a question you should?
This entertaining "Questions Only" game from the Whose Line Is It Anyway show brilliantly illustrates the mental dexterity needed to ask questions when you’re in the moment.
This clip is fun – and funny – and shows how hard it is to stay curious and probe with questions.
Indeed, your job isn’t to interrogate your customers, but how often do you give up or worse, NOT ask a question you should?
Quote of the day
"Replace judgment with curiosity." Lynn Nottage
"Replace judgment with curiosity." Lynn Nottage