May I Ask You a Question?

Don’t tell, ask. You know your job. You have spent countless hours researching your industry and have a complete understanding of how the products and services that you offer are best used to help your clients. You know what they need usually before they do. It makes sense that the temptation to tell them what you can do for them is natural and strong. Don’t do it.

One of our natural human tendencies is to distrust what others tell us we should do, especially if the person telling us stands to profit from our actions. So, how do we get the solution onto the table? We ask questions, lots of questions.

Instead of telling someone that they need this because it will make their process more efficient, we ask them “Are you looking for something that will reduce production time and save costs?” There is less chance of success when we tell them the product that they need, than when we ask them to choose from several options.

Develop a habit of asking questions when you find yourself wanting to tell your clients what to do.