310 Two Powerful Questions to Get Prospects Selling Themselves - The Art of Sales with Art Sobczak

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: The Art of Sales with Art Sobczak – Episode 310: Two Powerful Questions to Get Prospects Selling Themselves

Introduction

In Episode 310 of The Art of Sales with Art Sobczak, host Art Sobczak delves into a sophisticated yet effective questioning technique designed to engage prospects deeply, uncover hidden objections, and guide them to make purchasing decisions autonomously. This episode is a treasure trove for sales professionals seeking authentic, conversational strategies that foster trust and facilitate sales without traditional pressure tactics.

Personal Anecdote: Art’s Paver Walkway Story

Art begins the episode with a personal story that vividly illustrates the power of strategic questioning in sales. At [00:24], he shares his experience of contemplating upgrading his stepping stones to a more elegant paver walkway:

“A while back, I’ve been thinking about installing a paver walkway from my driveway to my backyard gate through some rock landscaping. Up until then, I had some stepping stones... they were uneven, wobbly, maybe a bit of an ankle breaker...” ([00:45])

Art explains how procrastination kept him from taking action, a relatable scenario for many. However, when he decided to consult a professional, the conversation took a transformative turn through two pivotal questions posed by the contractor.

The Two Powerful Questions

1. Uncovering Roadblocks: “Why haven’t you done anything about this yet?”

At [03:15], Art introduces the first key question:

“What’s kept you from doing this before now?” ([03:15])

This question serves to unveil the prospect’s hidden hesitations or objections. In Art’s case, it prompted him to acknowledge his excuses:

“Well, I guess I always thought the stepping stones were fine. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of having my yard torn up...” ([05:00])

2. Building Urgency: “What got you seriously looking at it now?”

The second question, introduced at [07:30], is equally potent:

“What got you seriously looking at it now?” ([07:30])

This query shifts the focus to the present, urging the prospect to articulate the reasons prompting immediate action. Art recounts how this led him to realize the necessity of upgrading before his big party:

“I got this big party coming up... if I don’t do something, I’m going to have a bunch of guests who... maybe even tripping over them.” ([09:45])

Psychology Behind the Questions

Art delves into the psychological underpinnings that make these questions so effective. He explains that people tend to rationalize their buying behavior internally, and by guiding them to verbalize their reasons, sales professionals can align the sale with the prospect’s own motivations.

At [12:20], he discusses the role of presupposition:

“By embedding the idea that I was seriously looking at it, he was guiding my thought process toward believing that I was indeed serious without me even questioning it.” ([12:20])

This technique leverages linguistic nuances to subtly influence the prospect's mindset, making them more receptive to the sales proposition.

Variations of the Questions

To ensure natural conversation flow, Art provides alternative phrasings for both questions:

For uncovering roadblocks:

“So what’s kept you from moving forward with this before now?” ([15:10])
“I’m curious, what’s been holding you back from making a change?” ([15:15])
“Why do you think this hasn’t been a priority until now?” ([15:20])

For building urgency:

“So what’s changed that’s making this a priority for you now?” ([17:05])
“What’s happening that has you looking at this more seriously today?” ([17:10])
“What’s caused you to finally revisit this?” ([17:15])

These variations allow sales professionals to adapt the questions to different contexts and conversational styles, enhancing their effectiveness.

Applying the Technique in Sales Calls

Art outlines a clear framework for integrating these questions into sales interactions:

Identify the Problem: When a prospect mentions an issue, start with the first question to uncover underlying objections.
Listen and Dive Deeper: Allow the prospect to elaborate, taking notes and probing further as needed.
Introduce the Second Question: Shift the conversation to the present to build urgency.
Consolidate and Close: Synthesize the information gathered to reinforce the necessity of taking action now, addressing any remaining hesitations, and seamlessly guiding the prospect toward making a decision.

At [20:50], Art emphasizes the natural, non-pressurized nature of this approach:

“No pressure, no arm twisting, no salesy technique. You’re simply helping the prospect sort out their own thoughts.” ([20:50])

This method ensures that prospects feel empowered and confident in their purchasing decisions, leading to more sustainable and satisfying sales outcomes.

Key Takeaways

Strategic Questioning: Utilizing well-crafted questions can reveal hidden objections and motivations, enabling sales professionals to tailor their approach effectively.
Psychological Insight: Understanding the psychological aspects of decision-making enhances the ability to guide prospects subtly and respectfully.
Natural Conversation Flow: Phrasing questions in various ways ensures that conversations remain authentic and comfortable, fostering trust and cooperation.
Empowerment Over Pressure: Facilitating the prospect's own decision-making process results in more meaningful and lasting engagements.

Conclusion

Episode 310 of The Art of Sales presents a masterclass in using targeted questions to transform sales conversations. By implementing the two powerful questions—“Why haven’t you done anything about this yet?” and “What got you seriously looking at it now?”—sales professionals can effectively dismantle barriers, create a sense of urgency, and guide prospects toward making informed, self-motivated purchasing decisions. Art Sobczak’s insights offer invaluable tools for anyone looking to enhance their sales techniques with authenticity and psychological acumen.

Notable Quotes:

Art Sobczak at [00:24]: “Everyone sells every day... you help people buy instead of pushing them into being sold.”
Art Sobczak at [03:15]: “What’s kept you from doing this before now?”
Art Sobczak at [07:30]: “What got you seriously looking at it now?”
Art Sobczak at [12:20]: “By embedding the idea that I was seriously looking at it, he was guiding my thought process toward believing that I was indeed serious without me even questioning it.”
Art Sobczak at [20:50]: “No pressure, no arm twisting, no salesy technique. You’re simply helping the prospect sort out their own thoughts.”

For more insights and resources, visit Art Sobczak’s website at smartcalling.com.

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[00:02]
A
You are listening to the Art of Sales. Everyone sells every day and this is your source for conversational real world sales and prospecting methods that you are comfortable using and that get results you'll help people buy instead of pushing them into being sold. Here's your host, Art Sobchik.
[00:24]
B
I am going to share a ninja level questioning technique that when used correctly, will get prospects to open up, give you valuable information and practically sell themselves on taking action. Now, before I go any further, I need you to promise on your honor as a sales pro that you'll only use this for good and not for evil. Because it's that powerful. So let me start with a quick personal story about how this exact technique was used on me and worked like a charm. So, a while back, I've been thinking about installing a paver walkway from my driveway to my backyard gate through some rock landscaping. Now, up until then, I had some stepping stones, and while they worked, they were, well, let's say rustic, which is a polite way of saying uneven, wobbly, maybe a bit of of an ankle breaker for anyone who's not paying attention. Now, I had thought about upgrading for a while, but you know the feeling. Maybe you have something like that at your own house. Every time you look at it, you say, hey, I really do need to do something about that. And then you go to the refrigerator. Anyway, every time I saw someone else's nice level finish paver walkway, I told to myself, yeah, I really should do that. But of course, life happens. And it never made it to the top of my actual to do list. So one day I saw a guy working on my neighbor's yard installing a brand new paver patio. Looked really good, solid, clean. And I started thinking, okay, maybe I should finally do this. So when he was out by the truck, I called him over to where I wanted my walkway and I explained what I was looking for. And after a few minutes, he hit me with this question. So what's kept you from doing this before now? Wow, great question. Whenever I'm in a sales situation, I'm usually thinking along parallel paths. One as a sales scientist breaking down the technique, and the other as an involved emotional buyer. And the better the salesperson and the technique that they use, the more I'm in the emotional buyer frame of mind, like I was here. So I answered him. Well, I guess I always thought the stepping stones were fine. I. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of having my yard torn up, taking the time to schedule it when I was in town and really I wasn't even sure if it was worth the cost. Boom. That one question pulled out every single mental roadblock that I had. Then he followed up with a second question. You might want to write this one down. What got you seriously looking at it now? Wow. So there's where I made my own case for why I needed it. So I said, well, I got this big party coming up, about 80 people, and they're going to be walking through here, and if I don't do something, I'm going to have a bunch of guests who of course, will see these stepping stones and, you know, maybe even tripping over them. So what happened here? Well, that first question forced me to really acknowledge my excuses for not acting sooner. And the second question had me selling myself on why now was the time. And you know what? Within a few days, I had a brand new paver walkway installed just in time for the party. So why do questions like these, these particular questions work like magic? Well, psychologically, they tap into how people rationalize their buying behavior. Let's look at the first one. Why haven't you done anything about this yet? Forces them to confront their own inaction. Most people avoid thinking about what's been stopping them because it's uncomfortable. But when they say it out loud, it becomes even more clear. Number two, what got you seriously looking at it now? This shifts the focus to urgency. It reinforces the reasons why now is the right time to take action. And the more they verbalize it, the more they convince themselves. Now, as I thought about this, as I was creating this podcast, I realized something else. So let me go even deeper with the psychology behind just one word in that question. And that one word is seriously, as in what gets you seriously looking at it. Now, this is called using a presupposition. That's a linguistic technique that subtly assumes something is already true, leading the person to unconsciously accept that assumption as reality. In this case, by embedding the idea that I was seriously looking at it, he was guiding my thought process toward believing that I was indeed serious without me even questioning it. Now, I don't know if he was doing this consciously or purposely, but nevertheless, it achieved the purpose I'm talking about. These techniques work because people trust their own reasoning more than yours. You're not pushing them. You're guiding them through their own logic. So let's take this further, take a look at it further, and how you can actually use it in your own sales. So that first question, why haven't you acted on this yet? So what we're trying to do here is uncover roadblocks, objections, hesitations, things that still exist in their mind that are barriers so you can address them before they kill the deal. Here are five more ways to phrase it naturally. One, so what's kept you from moving forward with this before now? Two, I'm curious, what's been holding you back from making a change? Number three, why do you think this hasn't been a priority until now? Four, you've known about this issue for a while. What's been stopping you? And five, what's preventing you from taking action on this in the past? Now, of course, you can come up with many of your own, and that's what I suggest you do. And the answers you're going to get will tell you exactly what's been going on in their head. Maybe they weren't sure which vendor to pick. Maybe they thought it was too expensive. Maybe they assumed it would be a hassle. Whatever it is, you now have the inside track to remove those objections. And now the all powerful second question. Why now? So let's switch gears to find out what's pushing them to take action today. So here are five questions to phrase this or rephrase it, modify. Come up with your own. Number one, so what's changed that's making this a priority for you now? Two, what's happening that has you looking at this more seriously today? Three, what's caused you to finally revisit this? Four, what's making this the right time to move forward? Five, so what's different now and more serious making this urgent that wasn't there before? These questions build momentum. They're going to start selling themselves by listing the pain points, the frustrations and the new priorities that made them reconsider. And the more they say it out loud, the more urgency they feel. And don't forget to use that presupposition or something like it, such as I did with a couple of those there, using the word seriously, for example. All right, so how do you use this in your calls? Well, now that you have the framework for this technique, here's how to apply it. So, number one, when a prospect tells you they have a problem but they haven't solved it yet, again, ask them that first question. So what's kept you from acting on this before now? Number two, let them talk, take notes, dig a little bit deeper, find the roadblocks again, go deeper before you go to the next question. Then number three, ask the second question. What's got this? Seriously, having you look at it right now and Then go deeper with that. Let them build their own urgency. And number four, once you have both answers, tie everything together, reinforce the urgency, eliminate the roadblocks, and make it easy for them to take action with your solution. What I love about this approach is that it feels completely natural. No pressure, no arm twisting, no salesy technique. You're simply helping the prospect sort out their own thoughts. And the best part? They feel like it's their decision. Because at the end of the day, people hate being sold to. But they love making their own decisions. Your job is to help them get there. So take these questions, use them in your next calls, and watch how quickly prospects start selling themselves. So go make it happen. All right. Hey, you know what time it is? The art of the Sales quote of the day. That's right. It's time for the quote of the day. Today's quote comes from Zig Ziggler. And Zig said, people don't decide based on facts alone. They decide based on emotion. And they justify it with facts. Hey, would you like more? More sales, more money, more success, more admiration? Well, to do that you need to be more and I can help. But I don't know where you are right now or what you need. So I'm going to give you my main web address and then you can poke around there and decide what is the best next step that you're ready for for you to become more. I've got lots of free resources right there at the site, as well as books and entire courses and also information on my most exclusive premium membership for those who are really serious about being the best they can be, which is my Smart Calling Ultimate Sales Professional Mastery coaching and training program. So that main site is smart calling. Com. Smart calling.com. thank you so much for investing your valuable sales time with me today. Until next time, go out and make it your best sales day ever. I'm ArtsUpcheck.