Questions about past

• What would you say is different about your organization today from when you started with this
company?

• What originally led you to work for this company? What were your expectations when you came on
board, and how have they changed since you’ve been here?

• Since you have been with the company, what have been some of the biggest hurdles you have
faced?

• Could you tell me about the changes your department has gone through recently? What challenges
or opportunities did those changes create for you?

• As you look back on your career, what has given you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

• What’s been your toughest project recently?

• If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?

• What have been some of your likes and dislikes with vendors in the past?

• Can you give me an example of a recent incident in which you had to deal with
_________________ problem?

• What has been a market trend you’ve seen in the past few years? What steps did you have to take
to adapt to this trend?

Questions about present

• Share with me your three biggest challenges. Of these three, which one is the most pressing?

• What problems are you currently experiencing? Why?

• What is causing these problems? Can you give me an example?

How long have you been experiencing this problem?

• Who else besides you is experiencing this problem?

• Think back to when you originally implemented this process. What were your expectations? What
results are you currently getting? What kind of results would you like to get in the future?

• If you could wind back the clock [or wave a magic wand], what would you change?

• Everyone has to deal with change. What’s the one change you [department, organization] are
encountering? What challenge is this change presenting?

• What are the biggest gripes you hear from your customers? From your internal customers [bosses,
peers, subordinates, or other departments]?

• On a scale from 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with your current product/vendor/situation? (Based
on the answer, you respond, “You mentioned the number____. What would you like to see the
product/vendor/situation do/deliver/accomplish in order to achieve a 10?”)
• What do you see as the biggest hurdle you face in order to meet your objectives? As you evaluate
your current situation, where are the biggest areas or opportunities for improvement?

Questions to Disrupt Existing Vendor Relationships

• Would you share with me the ideal qualities you look for in a vendor?

• How does your ideal situation compare with your current situation?

• When you originally chose this vendor, what were your selection criteria? In what ways have your
criteria changed as you evaluate your needs today? What would you like to see happen in the future?
• How would you rate your current vendor relationship, on a scale from 1 to 10? (Then, based on the
response, ask, “What would have to happen for IT to move from a ___ to a 10?”)

• If you could change one thing about your current vendor, what would it be?

• In what ways can your vendor better align itself with your goals?

Questions to Strengthen Existing Customer Relationships

• What is it that you value most about doing business with us [me]?

• What do you feel we are [I am] doing right to sustain the business relationship?

• In what ways are we [am I] helping you to achieve your goals?

• In what ways can we [I] improve?

• What changes do we [I] need to make to ensure greater success?

• If you could change one thing about our relationship, what would it be?

• What goals would you like to see us [me] accomplish with you in the next twelve months?

• How can we [I] make your life easier?

• Would you be willing to serve as a reference for my product or company? If so, can you elaborate
on what you would say about us? If not, why not?
• What will it take on our [my] part to win the business you are giving to our competition?

Questions About Your Customers’ (External) Customers

• Who are your most valuable customers?

• Can you give me a profile of your typical client?

• How do your customers measure success as a result of doing business with you?

• What do your customers expect from you as a vendor or supplier?

• How have your customers’ expectations changed over the last ten years? The last five years? How
do you see those expectations changing in the next three to five years?

• What steps do you take to ensure your customers’ needs are met?

• Why do customers buy from you?

• What would your customers say your strengths are as a company?

• What do your customers complain to you about?

• What do customers like most about doing business with your company? What do they like least?
What steps are you taking to improve in this area?

The Question of Why “Why” questions allow you to

understand the motives of your customers.
• Tell me, what is prompting your interest in . . . ?

• What’s causing this to happen?

• What’s driving the need for change?

• What originally led you to this decision?

How came you to this conclusion.

• What do you hope to accomplish?

• Share with me what is motivating your decision to . . . ?

• Why is this important to you?

• What is prompting you to consider taking action? • What’s in it for you to implement this . . . ?

• If you can achieve this result, what will it mean to you?

• If you are not able to achieve this result, what concerns do you have? And how might failing to
achieve it personally affect you?

Your Customers’ Decision- Making Criteria

• How do you measure success with a current vendor?

• What alternatives will you be considering?

• Share with me the criteria you use when selecting a. . . .

• How important is price compared to service? Compared to quality? Compared to availability?

Compared to “time to market”?

• How important is quality compared to availability?

• When it comes to price, quality, service, delivery, customer support, and ease of use, which is most
important to you? Which is least important?

• You mentioned that quality is important to you. Would you share with me your definition of
quality?

• Can you give me an example of when your standards for quality were not met?

• Can you rank the criteria you shared with me, from most important to least important?

• Let’s assume you are looking at three potential vendors who meet all of your criteria (including
price). How would you then make your decision?

• You mentioned that price, quality, and service were three important criteria. What other criteria
might be important to you in addition to these three?

• You mentioned that the most important thing for you is price. How does that compare to what
engineering (manufacturing, design, production, marketing, fulfillment) thinks is most important?

• When you survey your customers, what criteria do they say are most important to them?

• If you can think back to when you first chose your current product, what were your selection
criteria? Based on what you know now, how would those criteria change?

• If you think ahead to three years from now, what do you anticipate will be most important at that
time— the initial price of the product? Or the peace of mind knowing that you are getting the
necessary support long after a purchase was made?

• Which characteristics of this product are “must haves” for you, and which are optional?

• The changes we have discussed would result in an increase in profits. What would you do with that
increase in available funding?

• What alternatives to this problem have you considered?

• You have told me that your company has allocated $ ____ for this product. How was that amount
determined?

• Do you think the allocation of funds is sufficient for the project at hand?

• Based on what I have presented, what do you like most about the proposal?

• Of the areas we have discussed, what might cause you some concern?

Is This Need Important?

• How important is this issue to you?

• What areas of your business does this affect?

• Can you give me a specific example so that I can really understand?

• In addition to you, who recognizes that this is a major problem?

• What steps have been taken to resolve it?

What do you think will happen after you have reviewed my proposal?
Expansion Questions
Ordinary Questions Transformed into Expansion Questions
• Ordinary: “Who is the decision maker?” “When will you make a decision?” “What is your time
frame?”
• Expansion: “Walk me through your company’s decision- making process.” Here one expansion
question takes the place of three ordinary questions.

• Ordinary: “Are you satisfied with your current system?”

• Expansion: “Share with me your level of satisfaction with your current system.”

• Ordinary: “What do you like about your current vendor?”

• Expansion: “Describe for me the qualities you look for when choosing a vendor.”

• Ordinary: “Is price important to you?” “Is quality important to you?” “Is service important to you?”
• Expansion: “Explain to me the criteria you use to make a decision.”

This is another situation in which three questions can be transformed into one question. Expansion
questions should begin with phrases such as: “Describe for me. . . .” “Share with me. . . .”
“Explain. . . .” “Walk me through. . . .” “Tell me. . . .”

Conversation.
Mark: Wow, it sounds like you have a real problem that no one else has noticed. Based on what you
have shared with me, I think you should introduce me to the divisional vice president. I would
definitely be able to shed some light on the issue, especially since my company has a proven track
record with problems of this nature. When would be a good time for all of us to meet?

Typical Questions Changed into Comparison Questions Time

Example
• Ordinary: “What are your goals?”
• Comparison: “Share with me what you hope to accomplish in the next twelve months. How does
this compare with where you are today?” Or, “Share with me what you hope to accomplish in the
next twelve months compared with where you were one year ago.”

• Ordinary: “What do you like about your current system?”

• Comparison: “Describe for me what you like about your current system versus what you do not
like.” Decision- Maker Example
• Ordinary: “Who makes the decisions here?”

• Comparison: “Describe for me what qualities in a vendor are important to you, and how that
compares with what others [boss, cohorts, department heads, or team members] expect from a
vendor.” Or, “Tell me how your boss perceives this issue compared to the way you view it.”
Competitor Example

• Ordinary: “Who are your competitors?”

• Comparison: “Share with me the qualities that differentiate you from your competitors

Questions
“I read recently in an article in _____________ [any reputable news source or industry journal— for
example, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Journal of the American
Medical Association, Business Week , or The Economist ] that
_______________________________________________________ _______________ [give a brief
summary of the article’s main points]. Tell me, how does that compare with what you are seeing?”
For example: • “Last week I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that claimed
drug testing is an ineffective tool to weed out poor- quality job applicants. Yet, five times as many
companies test for drugs today compared to ten years ago. What has been your experience on this
issue?”
How do you feel about this growing trend?”
What are your thoughts and how might this affect your business?”
How do you feel about these recent changes?”
I’m curious as to what your thoughts are about this issue.

Some Final Examples of Educational Questions

• “The intense changes in technology have been especially influential on your industry. According to
U.S. News & World Report , many hospitals are experiencing greater ________. What are you
experiencing?”

• “In reading about your industry in the latest Fortune magazine, I have picked up on three major
changes/trends/issues. They are _______. Which one do you see as most important?”

• “Could you share with me how your experience compares with what the article claims about
_____?”

• “How does the new legislation regarding ______ change the way you do business?” • “Do you
expect this trend as reported in the New York Times to encourage or inhibit growth?”

How to Create Lock- On Questions

Now that you know what lock- on questions do for you, here are some examples of them in action:

Customer: We have been trying to get this project off the ground for several months.
Lock- on question: I noticed you said the word trying . What has worked so far and what has not?

Customer: I am looking for a partnership rather than just someone to sell me a product.

Lock- on question: Could you give me some specifics of what you mean when you say partnership

Costomer: My company has been experiencing problems with our current vendor and we are looking
for someone new.

Lock- on question: Can you give me an example of the problems you have been experiencing? [ What
better way for your customer to relive a painful situation created by a vendor? ]

Some Examples of Lock- On Questions

Here are some possible responses to the first item in Exercise 1:

• “You mentioned you were looking; for how long have you been looking?”

• “What prompted you to start looking?”

• “What options have you considered?”

• “What options have you eliminated?”

• “You mentioned have been ; does that mean you are still looking?”

• “What needs are not currently being met?”

• “For how long have your needs not been met?”

• “What criteria are you using to determine who can best meet your needs?”

• “Which of your needs are most important and which are least important?”

• “You mentioned we; who else has input into this decision?”

• “How will the decision to pursue a new option be made?”

• “Let’s assume your needs can be met; what do you hope to accomplish?”

Sample Impact Questions

• “How does this problem affect sales? Profitability? Scheduling? On- time deliveries? Quality?
Production?”

• “What do you think these problems are costing you?”

• “How is this problem impacting the bottom line?”

• “How much time do you spend each day dealing with this problem? If you could free up this time,
what other tasks would you prefer doing?”

• “How many employees have to address this problem? How much does it cost to train and employ
these people?”

• “When you have these difficulties with quality, how much does it cost you to fix them?”

• “Have you lost customers because of this problem? How much were those customers worth to
you?”

• “How is this problem affecting other areas of your business?”

• “Let’s assume you decide not to address this problem right away. What will that cost you this
year?”

• “If you do not fix this problem, what is the potential impact on your business? Can you afford to
take that risk?”

• “Can your company achieve its stated goals without addressing this problem?”

• “Are you able to devote sufficient time to other projects while dealing with this problem?”

• “Has company morale been affected by this problem? Have people left over this issue?”

• “How much does it cost to recruit and train a new employee? How long does it take before a new
person can perform his job without supervision? How much does that lost time cost you?”

A Series of Generic Vision Questions

• “If we could eliminate that problem you are currently experiencing, that problem that is costing
you [for example] $1 million per year, what effects do you think that would have on your company?”
• “If we could implement that change, how do you think that would affect your position and goals
within the company?”

• “How would implementing this change affect you personally? What would you be able to do
differently?”

Vision Questions for a Customer Seeking Security

• “If you and I could find a solution to this problem, what affect do you think that would have on the
company in the next five years?”

• “If you came to your boss with a solution that would save the company nearly $2 million per year,
what would that mean to you?”

• “If those changes in your career were to happen now, how do you think your life would look five
years from now?”
• “What would it mean to you personally?”

Jeff: Sandra, I realize you are a very busy woman . . . let me ask you a question. Imagine yourself
three years from today and you are looking back on those past three years. What will make you
happy knowing that you accomplished something during this time frame?

Sandra: In three years I really hope to have moved up from divisional manager to vice president.

Jeff: What steps do you think you will need to take in order to move up to that position?

Sandra: Well, I have excellent performance reviews as well as four years’ experience as a divisional
manager, but I need to find a way to really make a dent in the bottom line.

Jeff: As you know, I have gathered data from your people and done extensive research into how we
could save you money. Based on that data, I know that my service could save you almost $3 million a
year in shipping fees. If you were to bring that kind of savings to your superiors, how would that help
you attain your three- year goal?

Sandra: Hmmm, that’s an interesting proposition. I was not aware that the savings could be that
dramatic. If what you are saying is correct, I would be stupid not to present this idea. Let’s see if I can
arrange a meeting with the president next Tuesday morning. Is there any chance you could be there?

Some More Vision Questions

• “If you were able to achieve your goal,in what ways would it benefit the organization? How would
it benefit your department? How would it benefit you personally?”

• “What is your vision for the future of your company [department, team, territory]? What do you
see as the key steps you will need to take in order to get you there?”

• “What is your dream for the future of your career? What will you have to accomplish in order to
get where you want to be?”

• “Try to picture yourself three years from now. Share with me exactly what has to happen in order
for you to be satisfied with your progress.”

• “What bothersome task could you stop doing if this problem were solved? What would you do with
your free time?”

• “If you could accomplish your objective, what would that mean to you?”

• “If this problem were solved, what would it enable you to do?”

There are no downsides to using vision questions because of the positive tone and upbeat message
they present. On a typical day, most of the working population remains locked in the present and
does not think about the future and what it might bring for them. If you can use vision questions to
lift your customers out of the present and into a sunny future, they will be forever grateful to you,
not to mention the fact that they will almost certainly want to do business with you.
Objections
• Objection: Your price is too high.

Point of Agreement : I understand that money is an important issue to you.

Question to Clarify : Can you share with me the criteria you use when choosing a vendor?

• Objection: There is no money in the budget.

Point of Agreement : Well, I can certainly agree that managing your finances is crucial when doing
business.

Questions to Clarify:

(1) Is it a budgetary concern or not being convinced of the value you will receive?

(2) What will it take to secure funding so that you no longer have to experience the problem of [state
a problem your customer shared with you to drive home the frustration of having to continue with
his continuing situation]?

(3) What would allow you to convince yourself that this is an important investment for you [and your
organization], and not a cost? If the response is positive, ask, Then how can you go about securing
the necessary funding to take advantage of this opportunity now versus later?

• Objection: Another vendor has offered us the same deal for 15 percent less.

Point of Agreement: Getting the best value for your money is important.

Questions to Clarify:

(1) Tell me how important price is compared to quality [or on- time delivery, or service, or meeting
customer expectations].

(2) Share with me the buying criteria you are using for evaluation purposes.

(3)Tell me what’s most important to you: getting the cheapest price or the lowest total cost?

(4) It’s important that you get the most for your investment. Could you share with me your decision-
making criteria?

(5) What if this product/service could give you a _____ percent ROI. Would price still be an issue?

(6) What if I were to go back to my managers and they were to agree to that price? Would you do
business with me?

Emphasize the “what if”— make it clear you are not committing, only that you are trying to
determine if it’s really a price concern or something else. The last thing you want to do is to lower
your price and not get the business.
Still More Questions to Clarify Price
• “Could you describe for me your budgetary process?”

• “So that I can tailor the right solution, what budgetary parameters are you working within?”

• “How will the funding for this project be determined?”

• “How will you go about getting financial approval for this solution?”

• “What hurdles might you encounter when trying to get financial commitment for this project?”

• “Who else will be involved in approving the budget?”

• “On a scale of 1 to 10, how important will it be to get the service/product implemented?”

• “What kind of return on investment are you expecting?”

General Objections Aimed at Stalling If you recall the stages of commitment discussed earlier in the
book, stalls are nothing more than customers in the Should or Want To stage. Your goal is to uncover
the hot button or motive that will get them to the Have To stage.

• Objection: I need to think about it.

Point of Agreement: I am glad you are going to give this careful consideration.

Question to Clarify: What are some of the things you like about what I have said so far, and what
things do you have concerns about?

• Objection: We have too much going on right now.

Point of Agreement: Making sure your time, energy, and resources are invested wisely is important.

Question to Clarify: What will help you make this a priority?

• Objection: We are not ready to move forward.

Point of Agreement : I understand your reluctance to make a big decision such as this one.

Question to Clarify: Do you think you could help me understand what is causing your hesitation?
Objections with You (or the Company) Many times objections are ambiguous. Get the customer to be
specific and you’ll be able to isolate what the real concern is.

• Objection: We are unhappy with your service.

Point of Agreement : Getting your needs met is essential in any business relationship.

Question to Clarify: In what ways have we not been meeting your expectations?

• Objection: We like our current vendor.

Point of Agreement: Receiving the best quality, support, and service for your business is extremely
important.

Question to Clarify: Walk me through your decision- making criteria for choosing a vendor.
• Objection: You just do not understand our business.

Point of Agreement: It is vital that any vendor know as much as possible about your situation.

Question to Clarify: Could you share with me the problems you have been experiencing or the areas
in which you have concerns?

Conversation
Samantha: Good morning. How are you doing today?

Manager: I’m okay. How can I help you?

Samantha: I am calling to talk with you about a product used by state- of- the- art hospitals around
the world. The product is MedInfo 2000. Have you heard of it?

Manager: No, I haven’t. What is it?

Samantha: The MedInfo 2000 is a handheld electronic medical device that keeps electronic files for
patients and gives doctors and nurses access to reference materials as well as the latest treatments.

Manager: That’s interesting, but I bet it is expensive. [Now our salesperson needs to qualify the
situation to find out how interested the manager might be.]

Samantha: I know that we all worry about price, but there are times when the benefits outweigh the
cost. So that I can better understand your situation, I would like to ask you just a few questions.
When the hospital considers a new product, what is the typical evaluation process?

Manager: Well, right now the hospital is not evaluating or approving any new purchases. Over the
last three or four years we have seen increasingly smaller profits and so the “powers that be” have
proclaimed a moratorium on spending. We just can’t do it.

Samantha: Well, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate it.