Questions are The Answers

Are you spending time sharing your business, presenting information to lots of people but you can’t understand why they are not joining you?

Have you even bothered to find out if your prospect really has a need or a want for your business?

I know YOU love your business and are eager to share the light with everyone but unfortunately not everyone is looking. Many are but you must find them and not try to create them.

So how do we find the ones who are looking? Unfortunately they are not wearing a sign around their neck that says please tell me about your business opportunity.

We must start by learning to ask good questions!

By asking good questions you can stop wasting time with people who really are not interested and start listening for those that are.

Questions are a listening skill, yes a listening skill…you must hear what a person is saying in order to ask the right questions.

Asking questions can transform your relationships, give you instant appeal and help you sponsor more business partners.

Asking questions will help you gain the information you need to help move your prospects along.

Stages of Growth in a Prospecting Relationship or any relationship for that matter

Information gathering
Awkward, (easiest to quit, still trying to figure out what to do)
Intentional, longest stage
Integrated, comes natural

Asking creative questions is a learned skill. By developing this skill you will have the ability to gain free information. Information that will help you guide the conversation to the next level.

By listening carefully you will hear (ideas or feeling) deleated information (incomplete thoughts) and responses to other questions you have asked.

By being able to ask good question you will be able to have control over the course of the conversation.

Questions Are…

The fuel that perpetuates the conversation
The way to let your prospect know they are being heard
They prompt the prospect to tell their story
Productive and facilitating
The best way to gather data

If you will discipline yourself to listen to the very first sentence your prospect says when you first sit down with them you will get an immediate glimpse into the hot topics or issues they are dealing with in life or business.

By listening first then asking great questions you are able to gain a ton of free information

Depending on your prospect sometimes you may experience a deletion.
A deletion occurs when certain ideas or words are left out of the message the prospect is trying to say. In other words there is a void in the message.

A deletion is always a cry for help! They may not feel free emotionally to share or they may have an objection already in their mind such as…

“Is this one of those things?” Instead of answering and defending your opportunity, ask more questions… what do you mean by one of those things? or do you have experience with one of those things?

Skilled questioning will gently lead your prospect in the direction you want to go. Your questions must be congruent, they must lead a single thought to a conclusion.

Negative use of questions…

Asking questions that break the flow of the conversation
changing the subject
Asking questions that are too intimate
Asking “why” questions
Asking questions that can be answered with yes or no, these should only be used when you are trying to close them
Interrogation questioning
Loaded questions, a statement that is in the form of a question
Replying to a loaded question. Instead say, I’m not really sure if you are asking me a question or making a statement

Be careful in your use of questions, if you use any skill past the 100% point it will turn into suspicion. You must use them in a natural blend to be effective.

Paraphrasing can be a very effective way to help your prospect know they are heard. Paraphrasing must begin with a stem

What I hear you saying…
Youre telling me that…
I understand you to say that….

Home Run Skill….The Preception Check
Checking out your perception (best guess) about what the prospect is experiencing (feeling/emotion) by responding to the message they are sending.

Note: these include tone of voice and body language
This can be a great skill to use when making up after a fight with someone too…

Example: Listen I get the feeling that when I said what I said to you, it hurt your feelings….

Identify with what you you think your prospect is experiencing…
I get the impression that…
It appears to me that….
It seems to me that….
I’m wondering if…
It sounds to me as if…
Is it possible that…
I sense that…

Examples:
“I get the feeling that….no matter what I say you are going to have an objection is that right? what would it take for us to move forward, what is the one question you have that can help us move forward.
“I’m wondering if you are thinking this is a pyramid, is that correct?
“It sounds to me that you are excited but something is holding you back. right?
“I have a hunch that you are pleasantly surprised by the support you will receive in this business, am I right?”

Move in and out of questions, paraprhasing and the use of a perception check can help you move your prospect forward

Beware of Blocking Statements
Responding to your prospects statements with your own issues shows you are insensitive and have your own agenda.
Avoid taking a phone call if you can, breaking the flow of the conversation with incongruent thoughts and comments will set you back.

In Conclusion…

By becoming skilled at asking creative question you will…