Today's Thought

OLIVER'S TWIST ON...Complete The Question!

Whenever you ask someone a question, there are 2 things to consider.
Make sure there is a reason for asking it
Make sure you complete the question by following up with more questions, if necessary, until you find an answer

Consider these great starter questions during a live lead call that I was able to listen in on…
Distributor: Do you work for a living?
Potential Partner: No, I'm a student!
Distributor: Oh! And what are you studying?
Potential Partner: Business administration

Unfortunately, the Distributor then switched to some other questions that were unrelated and never "completed" the flow of these original ones. It appeared as if the questions were being asked just for the sake of asking them.

There was no follow up and no meaningful conversation. It indicated a neglect in understanding and developing the replies, possibly leaving the other person thinking "Why are you asking?"

Follow Through and Qualify
A reason for asking questions is to qualify the other person and help them qualify themselves.
When you get the type of answers as in the above, at the back of your mind you must be thinking things like…
Will he have the time to do this?
Will he have the commitment to stick to it?
Will he have the means to pay for the start up costs?

So with this in mind, there are a string of questions you could ask in order to follow through and find out.

How long have you been a student?
How long do you have left?
What is the reason you want to start your own business?
Is it something you intend to continue after you leave school?
Will you have the time to do your business and study at the same time?
How much time would you be able to put into it each week?
How important is it to you to do this?

I think you can appreciate it that there will be some initial costs involved to start…
can I ask if you have the means to do this?

It takes all of I minute to ask and receive replies the above. The answers will also reveal more for you than randomly taking off with other questions in other directions.

Basing your follow up questions on the answers to previous questions will also help you get better results because…
You'll demonstrate you've been listening.
They'll feel acknowledged and become more involved with you in the dialogue.
You'll avoid the problem that sometimes comes up where the other person feels like they're being "interrogated". This is likely to happen when you simply ask questions for no apparent reason.

Chapter 10 ("The Art Of Asking Questions") of my book "How To Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety Or Losing Your Friends!" talks more about how to use questions effectively.

My "Power Up Your Dialogue" series of audio programs will be useful, if you want to see and hear for yourself how to use questions in a "real life" setting. There's five individual titles, covering different situations. "Calling Leads" will be helpful if you use lead programs as a business building tool. Titles such as "Introducing Your Business And Products" are more relevant when you're talking with people "face to face".

Whatever the situation, make sure there's a reason behind the question you ask and then "complete" the question by following through to develop the answer.

Have a peaceful and prosperous…

Michael Oliver

Best Selling Author of "How to Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!" - Selling from the Soul. Ancient Wisdoms. Modern Practice. Want to get rid of all the techniques, systems and gimmicks simply by changing the way you think and the way you act on what you think? Choose one of the many convenient options on the right hand side of this newsletter. Or click here www.NaturalSelling.com