16 Listening Questions
The following list of questions should be used in conjunction with the 6 “I”s model discussed within Chapter 2. These questions will help you generate conversation over the phone with potential clients at every stage of the relationship. These are open-ended questions that should prompt the other party to talk while you gather knowledge about their current needs and resources.
- Have you used others services/products like this in the past?
- How was that experience?
- How did your company first know there was a problem?(if there was one)
- Was there anything you wish had happened?
- What requirements do you have internally for this type of a service/product?
- Is there a timeline your firm had in mind for making a decision?
- What is the culture of your company like?
- How is your company different from most in terms of service/product needs?
- Can you elaborate on that last point?
- What do you think about this?
- What would you like because of this conversation?
- Are there other services or products that you would like to talk about?
- What stage in the purchasing process is your firm in?
- What is your firm’s budget for this service/product?
- What has changed since the last time we spoke?
- Who else is working on the selection of this service/product?
“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.”
- Peter Drucker