Don’t just uncover the problem—ask your client what they want the solution to look like tomorrow. Here’s how to use that question to create real value by bridging that gap.
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There’s a couple of very powerful, often overlooked questions in sales, and it’s all around value.
So sellers are often really good at uncovering the problem.
What’s the problem you’re trying to resolve? Okay.
But we don’t often ask, what do you want the solution to be or what should the result be? So that’s an important question because we have to know if the customer is being realistic and if we can get them there.
So what is the problem you’re having now? What is it you’re trying to solve right.
What’s the result you’re getting today that needs to be resolved? What do you want it to be tomorrow? That’s the second question.
The third question is the magic.
Why are you not accomplishing that now? Or one of my clients likes to say, what’s the rate limiting factor of why you’re not there? What’s causing you to have this problem today? Right.
That gap with that delta between where they are and where they want to be and why they think the problem is happening, is where you can create value.
And once you uncover that, then you can have a realistic conversation about how long it will take to get that way.
What happens if you get close to that number or not quite at that number? What if you overachieve? How long they need or how long they want to take to get to that, and whether they’re even being realistic at all? Too many times sellers get caught up in failed implementations because the buyer was unrealistic in their expectations, and we let it go unchecked.
So always ask that question: Where do you want it to be and why is it not there today? You will create value and you will be successful.
Don’t forget to check out: Don’t be a Whiner!