Information, information, information
With respect to the blog that stimulated this thought, In Sales, Information Is Power, information is not power, information is everything. Growth professionals (my word for salespeople) simply do not spend enough time actually learning and gathering information. Many ask good questions to get things started but do not spend enough time really collecting the extremely important information after that.
Example:
Customer: “I am looking for a blue box, that is six foot square, with two flaps on one side.”
Professional: “Excellent. As you know we specialize in custom boxes. When would you need it?”
Simplistic example? Yes. Not far from reality? Yes, again.
Remember, information is everything.
Here are my random first level questions: Why Blue? As blue has many shades, what kind of blue? What is the significance or purpose of the two flaps? Why only two flaps? Why six foot square? What are you looking to use this box for? Why a box in the first place? Why is this so important and critical?
Based on those answers, I would ask probing, deeper level questions. I want to understand in its broadest context everything I need to know about this vision, interest, and need identified by the customer.
Imagine the value that would come from this information gathering exercise if I discovered, in collaboration with my customer, that they don’t need a box at all. That we discovered they really need a triangle.
This is why simply hearing, listening, and then responding is not enough. You need to understand. To understand you need more information. Accepting what you first hear without gathering more information compromises your ability to provide a valuable solution for your customers. Remember, the most important words in your revenue generating (sales) vocabulary are information, information, information.