At the foundation of effective professional services selling is understanding needs, objectives, and aspirations of a prospective client. Doing this well mostly means asking lots of questions. Sadly, professionals and their marketing helpers too often take questioning as their right.
If you want considered and frank answers from a prospective client, make sure they see it as worthwhile for them ... not just for you.
Hopefully, your long-established client is sufficiently invested in the relationship - and understands that you are heavily invested in it, too - to provide meaningful responses to questions you pose. But you can't take for granted more than a perfunctory response from a prospective client, or even some established clients.
Earning the right to ask questions is a function of three Rs: rapport, respect, and reciprocity.
Rapport must first be established. This takes time - only rarely is solid rapport instant. Rapport comes from finding shared experiences and shared values ... quality conversations rather than rapid-fire "cut to the chase" exchanges in your chase for new fees.
Respect is the next ingredient. Respect for time, for meeting, for sharing information, for views, for confidences, even for leaving things unsaid, and definitely for the right to choose professional advisers without explanation or justification to you.
Reciprocity is necessary because rapport, respect, and quality information flow is a two-way process. Reciprocity probably means starting in the expectation of giving rather than just getting - show the prospective client that there's something of value to them along the way.
Most of us are programmed to give in reciprocation for receiving. Being generous with your information, insights, and valuable perspectives opens the way to earning rights to ask the questions we want, to get information we need.
Of course, there are amiable folk out there who'll happily answer your questions all day in return for your showing even a glimmer of interest in them and their business - chances are, they'd have chatted freely to you even if you weren't much interested. By contrast, the best and most attractive prospects will be busy people whose valuable time is already in scarce supply. For them to share important information and insights, be sure to invest in respect, rapport, and reciprocity and so earn your right to ask questions.
By showing lots of interest when it's not directly valuable, you'll develop rapport, show respect, and make your advance contribution to reciprocity.
Professionals and their marketing helpers must invest to earn questioning rights.
The author gratefully acknowledges an email from Kathleen Singleton of Eliquent Business Consulting which stimulated this eTip.
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