BRX Pro Tip: Always Ask Why
Stone Payton: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Business RadioX. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here for our Pro Tips series. Lee, in terms of conducting an effective exchange, where you’re really trying to help a prospective client make an informed decision, and you’re trying to make an informed decision about whether it makes sense to get together and work together to meet their market effectively, your primary admonishment in that process, always ask why.
Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Yeah. This is something that I heard from Alan Weiss – who is one of my favorite coaches for consultants – to help consultants kind of get their business to the next level. What he says is, when you’re talking with a prospect, you really want to ask why and dig deeper. Because this is going to get you closer to the real reason your prospect wants someone to help them solve this problem they have.
Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] So, if you’re just trying to give your prospect what they say they want, then you’re just like anybody else, you’re a commodity. But if you can dig deeper and then get to the root pain that they’re feeling and give them what they truly need, that’s something that they can’t get from just anybody else in your industry.
Lee Kantor: [00:01:23] You’ve elevated yourself into being a unique resource for them that they can’t get anywhere else. You’re willing to dig deeper, ask them a harder question. You’re there as a real trusted adviser, somebody that’s really looking out for them. And, ultimately, you don’t really care if they’re going to buy your service. You’re trying to help them. And if you can dig deep enough to really try to help them, then there’s a higher probability they’re going to buy your service. And that thing that they ask for will be thrown into the package.
Lee Kantor: [00:02:00] But what they’re really getting is your brainpower and your mindshare to help them get to where they want to go. You want to elevate yourself from being just another vendor. You don’t want to be a commodity. You want to be an indispensable, trusted advisor. And the thing you sell is not what really they’re buying. That’s part of what they’re buying. But you’re helping them get the outcome they desire. And in order to really be clear on what outcome they desire, you’re going to have to ask some questions. And you’re going to have to ask them why they want what they say they want until you get to the heart of the big why of, really, what is it that they’re trying to buy and what is the real problem they’re trying to solve.
Lee Kantor: [00:02:44] So, I’m a big fan of Alan Weiss. So, check out all of his stuff. He’s got blogs. He’s got newsletters. He’s got a ton of books. He does a great job of helping consultants ask the deeper question so that you can create these relationships where you’re indispensable and that you get customers for life.
