Questions: Diagnose Before You Prescribe

In medicine and sales, diagnosing before prescribing or pitching a solution is crucial. This means understanding the prospect's needs and pain points before offering a product or service in sales. With proper diagnosis, the answer may address the underlying issue, resulting in a better experience for the customer and lost sales for the business. At Griffin Hill, we understand the value of asking the right questions to diagnose a prospect's needs.

The Power of Asking Questions

Sales reps often must avoid jumping to conclusions and offering solutions before understanding the prospect's needs. However, Tim Wackel suggests that asking questions is the best way to establish knowledge and credibility. This is according to his blog - Take Two of These and Call me in the Morning. Open-ended questions are essential in eliciting a detailed response, enabling you to diagnose the underlying problem effectively. At Griffin Hill, we know that asking the right questions helps you understand the prospect's needs and builds trust.

When you ask open-ended questions, you allow the prospect to share more about their challenges and objectives. This will enable you to dig deeper into the underlying issue, understand the context, and better understand what the prospect needs. With this understanding, you can tailor your pitch to the prospect's specific needs, making it more compelling and persuasive.

The Art of Asking the Right Questions

The type of questions you ask is crucial in effectively diagnosing the prospect's needs. Open-ended questions, such as "What challenges are you currently facing?" and "How have you tried to address them?" can provide valuable insights into the prospect's needs. Follow-up questions can help you dig deeper and uncover the root cause of the problem. At Griffin Hill, we emphasize the importance of crafting the right questions during the Needs Audit process.

One approach that is particularly effective is the 5 Whys technique. This involves asking "why" questions up to five times to get to the root cause of the issue. For example, if a prospect says they are struggling with employee productivity, you might ask, "Why do you think your employees are not productive?" After they respond, you could follow up with, "Why do you think that is?" and continue until you've identified the underlying issue.

Standing Out from the Crowd

In a competitive market, standing out from the crowd is critical. As Tim Wackel suggests, asking the right questions can help you differentiate yourself from other sales reps. The Needs Audit process at Griffin Hill focuses on crafting questions that help the prospect and the sales rep discover the precise benefits the prospect seeks. By demonstrating a deep understanding of the prospect's needs, sales reps can establish themselves as knowledgeable and trustworthy partners.

Asking the right questions is just the beginning of the sales process. Once you've identified the prospect's needs, you need to present your solution in a way that resonates with them. This requires tailoring your pitch to their specific needs and pain points. At Griffin Hill, we teach our clients how to do this effectively through our sales methodology, which emphasizes building trust, demonstrating value and delivering results.

How Griffin Hill's Sales Methodology Can Improve Your Team's Performance

Diagnosing before prescribing is essential in sales, and asking the right questions is the key to effective diagnosis. At Griffin Hill's Sales Methodology, we understand the importance of the Needs Audit process and crafting the right questions to help sales reps differentiate themselves from the competition. 

Contact us at (801) 225-7000 to learn more about our sales methodology and how we can help your team improve their sales performance. By asking the right questions, you can understand your prospects' needs and provide them with a solution that delivers real value.