Think Like A CEO!

Good CEOs understand the value of constantly assessing the competition to survive.  Likewise, in order to thrive, they must keep on top of trends affecting the industry.  Whether your prospects are CEOs or professionals who are deeper in the organization, your best bet for engaging them is to ask questions about these two crucial aspects of business—the competition and industry trends. When you speak about these core issues, you’ll create the opportunity to bring insight and added value along with your products and services.

Rather than launching into a pitch about your products and services, the key is to open the conversation by asking some good questions. This will encourage your prospects to talk about the very things that drive and impact their business, and it will give you insight into the kind of business results your customer seeks.  

The following questions can help you focus the discussion on the future while critically analyzing the present situation. If you can get prospects to ask, “Can I get where I want to go with what I have now?,” no matter what the answer is, helping them to face that question will prove valuable to their business—and to yours—as your prospects come to look to you as a forward-thinking advisor.

Use these questions to engage your prospects at a deeper level, and get into their mindset. But use them judiciously, with attention to the prospect’s reaction, and with care not to over-do it. Start with what you consider the most relevant and potentially interesting issue for a particular prospect. Then proceed accordingly, selecting subsequent questions that will lead to a discussion of how your products/services can help attain your prospect’s goals.

• What has been the biggest contributing factor to your company’s success?
• In the next three years, what opportunities and threats do you anticipate?
• What do you think truly differentiates your company from the competition?
• How does your company measure progress?
• How does your company approach change?
• What pending market conditions (i.e., regulation, competitive threats, demographic trends, etc.) might change the way you do business?
• How does your company address the competitive pressures of the market?
• What issues do you think your company must address or overcome in order to be more successful?  What specific steps or actions will you need to take?
• What are your goals to increase market share.  What’s working well for you?  What isn’t?

Remember that your prospects’ time is at a premium, so you’re in danger of disconnecting from their wavelength if you try moving too quickly to tactical approaches to qualify or close.  The way to connect and demonstrate your worth is by asking the right questions, and zeroing in on what’s important to your prospect. Asking big-picture questions will help tune you into their mindset—and will highlight your added value as an insightful advisor to them—with faster and greater results.