To Solve or To Find?

We don't know what we don't know. Unfortunately, traditional salespeople are tethered to "what we know."

"Tim, I solve problems - and that's why prospects choose us and customers stay." Again, the default is to solve what we know how to solve. Our automatic response, the path of least resistance, is to grab hold of what we know we know. Please understand, I find no fault in this, and am delighted an expertise has been developed. Especially when I am well aware that it took many years of trials and tribulations for you to get to a point of owning well developed problem-solving skills.

Kudos. 

I am here to challenge. I am here to encourage that finding a problem - one your customer can't or hasn't even considered - is what makes you valuable. Valuable is heads above helpful. Finding problems is an art form.

To test the strength of your solution, a layer of curiosity must be added. In every opportunity, especially one that's face-to-face, your brain must scream, "What don't I know?" as opposed to "Here's what I know..."

By the way, imagine what a fair question it is to ask, "Mrs. Prospect or Mrs. Customer, what are the unknowns?" Or, "What don't we know that we should be talking about?"

There are two required skills to have the inquiry conversation, and to be effective at it.

Transparency

Ask yourself this: how good are you at creating a transparent dialogue? I mean the kind of conversation where all involved parties aren't afraid to come clean; to tell all. Facts and evidence are necessary in problem finding.

Vulnerability

Okay, folks, this is the biggie. Men, I know you especially detest the idea of "becoming vulnerable" and wouldn't force the condition on anyone. But what if you knew what it really means to become vulnerable? Weeping and gnashing of the teeth aren't required. But an ability to surrender ego for the good of progress, efficiency and a new way of doing things is the heart and soul of innovation.

Change your focus to what you don't know - and you'll change the outcome.

At Sandler Training Trustpointe we help our clients turn heads. To learn more about hide and seek, the deep unknown and required questioning skills, contact Tim Roberts at 317-845-0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com

Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.