In my corporate leadership roles, I have trained with several “sales professional” development programs. One of my favorites is New Velocity, founded by Chris Daltorio. I have found one of his many creative discovery approaches to be helpful not only in business, but in life.
Rarely will our door bells ring with “door-to-door“ sales people anymore. The landscape has changed and so have the ways that we do business. In my line of work, before ever working to solve a problem (“consultative selling”) for a prospect or client, I “first seek to understand” (a Stephen Covey concept.) The discovery process is one in which I ask a lot of questions about goals and barriers to success, long before formulating a solution. The same is true in my coaching practice and even in day to day communications with my family and friends.
Back to New Velocity, and the “Why x 3” approach. Application of the assumption that it takes three “Whys?” to start uncovering the origin of a dynamic, in sales, we ask the question three times to get to the heart of the matter.
Here is an example:
Client: “I want to record my virtual proceeding on Zoom.” (Me: “Why?”)
Client: “So I can refer back to it if we go to trial.” (Me: “Why, what does that accomplish?”)
Client: “I can use the testimony to potentially impeach a witness.” (Me: “Why, how does the recording help?”)
Client: “I can replay the testimony for a jury.” (Me: “So it would be helpful to have testimony on video,? Would having the text run along side it in the same screen, synced with the video, be powerful in this regard?”
Client: “Yes!” (Me: “I have just the solution, and it is not a zoom recording. Let me tell you about it…”)
Many times, clients think they know what they need, but by asking why (three or as many times as needed) I can get to the real question, and then meet that need with a solution. Why blog about sales questions? Because this inquiry approach is applicable in every day life.
Here is an example:
Friend: “I need a new job.” (Me: ”Why?”)
Friend: “Because I am tired of working all the time. Since COVID hit there are no business hours anymore. I get calls at 8pm in the evening, noon on Sunday, it’s like there is no such thing as a work week anymore.” (Me: “Why is that a problem for you?”)
Friend: “Because I am always multi tasking and never get a break. My family time is compromised because my phone is always ringing, and I never feel rested.” (Me: “Why does that matter?”)
Friend: “Because I miss my evenings with my spouse and kids and I feel like I am missing out. Plus my responses at work are not efficient because I am not fully engaged.” (Me: “So fair to say family and work life balance are two of your core values, and they are being threatened by remote working?”)
Friend: “Exactly.” (Me: “Perhaps you do need a new job. But before you start down that path, maybe you can consider revamping your time management structure and/or talking with your company about the need for additional boundaries.”)
Like potential clients, all of us may start from a place of what we think we need, but if we don’t ask each other, and ourselves “why” we may be creating new problems without ever addressing the underlying issue. In both the client and the friend examples, identifying important details changed the direction of the initially proclaimed action necessary.
A repeated theme, we always comes back to importance of understanding our motivation. Whether in the work place or in every day life, we constantly make decisions. Digging deeply enough to reveal the true factor that Is driving the need for a change, an answer to some question, or some action to take, will guide us more effectively, than if we take our initial questions or conclusions as simplistic as they first appear.
Give it a shot and see if you “discover” something that you didn’t know was underneath!