“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”
- Anthony Robbins
There are only two types of questions: Those that get negative or negligible results, and those that get great results. What questions are you asking yourself and your associates, employees and customers that can result in a better bottom line? What questions will reduce customer attrition, improve loyalty and profits and motivate the people you work with?
Design the Right Questions
- The answers to the questions we ask should result in answers that inspire, motivate and initiate innovation and positive action.
- They should encourage, cheer, challenge, energize and drive.
- The more specific the question, the more specific the answers… And the more specific the answers, the better. Specific is terrific.
By designing the right questions to ask those involved in our business, we direct the business to greater success and focus everyone on the goals and objectives for which we have taken responsibility. When you ask the right question, you create an answer that begets a success strategy.
Try Asking These for a Self Check:
- “Which three things can we do to increase the amount of people coming into the store by 5% without any cost or risk to us?”
- “How can I pay for results instead of promises when it comes to advertising?”
- “Who do we need to work with in a Joint Venture to double the amount of prospects we are currently exposed to?”
- “How can we create three new streams of increasing, passive income?”
- “How can we benefit from someone else’s advertising and marketing activities?”
- “What can we do to double the value we offer our clients, without increasing our cost of sales?”
- “How can we get customers to increase the amount of times they visit our business by 30%?”
- “How can we reactivate 40% of our inactive customers?”
- “How can we create back end sales without increasing our overhead or the time it takes to sell the back end?”
Sales Tip
Learn to ask questions that result in a buy. “O.K., Bill, I’m going to charge you card now for the basic Widget. Now shall I add the Blue Squink for $100 as well as the Rutten for another $800, or shall I just add the Blue Squink?” The answer should be, “Sure, add both”, or, at worst, he says, “Oh, just the Blue Squink for now.” Either way, you have upsold him.
Management Tip
Management questions can help or hurt. Ask, “What could I have done to help you achieve even more sales?” “You’re really at the rock face, Candy. What do you suggest we do to improve customer service even more?” “Bobby, I want to pay you a higher commission. What can we do to ensure a higher transaction amount per sale?”
