Do you try to talk people into things?
Here’s what talking people into things sounds like:
“If I could show you how to make more money, would you be interested?”
“Having a solid life insurance plan is important, don’t you think so?”
“Would you like to lose tummy fat in 3 days without changing your diet?”
The problem?
When you talk people into things, they can smell your commission breath.
Prospects know you’re putting your self-interest first because you’re encouraging a desired answer.
What’s the way out?
Ask an illumination question that gets prospects to think differently about their current solution without having an ulterior motive.
Illumination questions are neutral because they don’t encourage a desired answer. They make brains subconsciously think, “Hmm, I’m not sure.”
In other words, illumination questions poke the bear.
What do you know that your prospect doesn’t know that can hurt them?
Example for Truthfinders:
“How do you know the founder you’re about to invest in won’t have a sordid history splashed across Tech Crunch’s homepage?”
Example for SambaSafety:
“If you run an MVRs quarterly, how do you know violations aren’t occurring between pulls?”
Example for an X-Ray machine
“How are you dealing with lower demand for CT procedures due to declining reimbursements from more expensive exams?”
Example for Adam’s Grit Gaurd:
“How are you ensuring your wash mitt won’t scratch your car?”
Example for a staffing firm that places salespeople:
“How do you know good interviews won’t turn into bad sales hires?”
Example for AxiosShipping:
“How do you know you’re not being overcharged for shipping?”
Example for Animal Pharmaceuticals:
“You may have read in this month’s AVMA journal that veterinary visits are decreasing 6% YoY due to rising fee schedules. Out of curiosity, how are you increasing profitability while maintaining your current fee schedules?”
Stop talking people into things.
Ditch the pitch.
Poke the bear.