They are INTERROGATORY QUESTIONS. Interrogatory questions are often unexpected and must be considered in the moment, without previous preparation. That’s what you want! It often leads to the TRUTH because it’s more difficult to craft a “story” than to tell what’s actually going on.

 

Interrogatory questions cannot be answered with YES or NO. They lead your counterpart into a deeper explanation giving you more information. This will help you to better understand the client and position your value proposition for their specific needs.

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Example:

You: Does my presentation cover what you’re looking for?

Your Counterpart: Yes or no.

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Case in Point:

You: What else would you like to see that I haven’t included here?

Your Counterpart: Let me see…I think you’ve covered everything.

You: Ok, to be sure, let me ask you, what part...

• serves your priorities best?

• are you most interested in?

• will you bring to your team for consensus?

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Your Counterpart: We don’t know what they will say. They’ll need to think for a moment. You’ll need to remain silent, let them answer, and listen. They did not prepare for this question. So, it’s easier for them to tell you the TRUTH than it is to come up with something else on the fly. They will likely reveal important information. If you ask about the team, you’re also asking who else is responsible for making the decision. If you ask about priorities, you get a sense of where they are most willing to spend, or try a new partnership.

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Their answer will lead you to your next interrogatory question. They begin with words like:

• What…

• How…

• Can you explain…

• If you could…

• Why is/why does/why do you…

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This will get you started! Use them. Develop your own. Test yourself. Can your question be answered with Yes or No? If it does, rephrase it. Does your question play a negative? If so, rephrase it.

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One last thing!

 

Take into consideration the temperament of your counterpart, their propensities, personality, demeanor. How you speak to specific individuals matters more than your words!

A KICKSTART 45-minute session will guarantee you’re prepared! Usually $199, WORTH MORE subscribers get coupon code KICKSTART for $50 off! We’ll walk through what you know about your counterpart, your competitors, everything you know about the opportunity. I’ll guide you through questions to ask, body language, tones of voice, and actual words to use and not use to guarantee the best possible outcome. Click here to book your session:

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