Are you asking enough questions?

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would say, "Lisa - you ask too many questions for a little girl". I wasn't satisfied with just being told something, I had to know the why...and I'd ask as many questions as it took to feel satisfied. Grandma would smile. "Lisa," she'd say, "it's not good to ask so many questions. After all, curiosity killed the cat."

But even as a child, I knew this wasn't true (and my cat seemed to be doing just fine). So, I kept at it. Sure, it drove some people crazy - like my parents and my teachers - but for me, this curiosity helped me to dig deep and understand the world around me, the people in it, and...myself.

But when I started in sales, this continued curiosity really paid off. I found I had a knack for asking probing, powerful questions that let me really understand my client's business - and that my clients appreciated it. As a result, those questions ended up netting me a lot more business opportunities!

In my work with sales performers, I've discovered that while most salespeople ask questions, they fall short on asking more questions about their client's business and goals. They ask 'immediate need' questions such as - what colour? what quantity? What's your budget? And while those are important, there are other 'burning desire' questions that get right to the heart of what your client really, really needs and wants from the sales relationship.

If you really want to grow both your business and your client's business and truly position yourself as their valued partner or sales expert, I'm going to give you a simple challenge, that will radically increase your business opportunities.

I challenge you to ask 2-3 more questions in your client sales conversations. Questions like the one's I've listed below will get you beyond their immediate needs, and position you as their 'go-to' sales consultant for their 2010 business plans.

Here's a few powerful questions that will get your clients thinking differently about you: