Conversations That Convert: Better Sales Discovery Questions

Imagine your sales conversations as a living, breathing ecosystem. Each interaction represents a unique opportunity to cultivate a relationship, contribute to your professional growth, and ultimately, drive business success. At the heart of this ecosystem? Your sales discovery questions.

Great conversations are derived from great questions. They're the building blocks of meaningful interactions in sales. Think about the last industry event you attended. You may not remember the person who had all the great answers, but you'll likely recall those who asked thought-provoking sales discovery questions. That's because great questions elevate us beyond small talk, which, let's face it, can be mundane in business relationships.

Why Great Questions Are Crucial in Sales

Thoughtful sales discovery questions set you apart and convey credibility better than any proposed solution. They show you've done your due diligence without boasting.

Example: "I read about your Asia expansion. How will you manage cultural differences in each market?" This demonstrates research and genuine interest.

Great sales discovery questions are crucial, especially today when buyers are inundated with irrelevant information and careless automation. They act like a fast-track pass at Disney World, allowing you to bypass the noise and get straight to meaningful conversations.

Open-ended questions transform the dynamic from selling to problem-solving. They dig beyond superficial symptoms to root causes. "Help me understand why this is happening. How did we get here? What if we did nothing? Is this really a priority?"

Great questions also uncover upside potential. If a company grew 25%, ask, "How do you know it shouldn't have been 34%?" This can reveal "created needs" - ones the prospect didn't realize they had.

By using "why" and "how" questions, you move from transactional to impactful conversations, challenging assumptions respectfully and uncovering deeper insights.

A Strategic Approach to Sales Discovery Questions

Plan your questions, don't script. Be the agenda setter. Ask yourself: "Where should this conversation go?"

Time is your biggest enemy as a sales-person. Efficient professionals use questions to guide conversations and uncover information quickly.

Uncover three types of needs:

1. Existing Needs: Current requirements.

2. Impending Needs: Future requirements.

3. Created Needs: Undiscovered opportunities.

Created needs are your goldmine, revealing new growth possibilities.

Shift from problem-focus to growth-focus. Ask: "How could your operations be 30% more efficient?" instead of "What issues are you facing?"

Your goal is to demonstrate thinking beyond immediate sales to long-term success.

How Better Questions Lead to Stronger Business Relationships

Great questions differentiate you in a crowded market. The Dunbar number, we discuss in a seperate blog post here, talks about 100-150 manageable relationships, means constant competition for mindshare.

Well-crafted sales discovery questions make you memorable. People often forget products but remember great questions. Example: "The first time I met Nour, he asked some great questions."

Recently, I moderated a leadership retreat. As participants introduced themselves, I consistently asked questions that made them think:

●      "You've been here five months. What surprised you the most in this role?"

●      "Why did you choose to come here?"

●      "What's been the most painful lesson you've learned in the five years in this job?"

These questions get people thinking. They force individuals to reflect and challenge their assumptions. When you ask, "I'm assuming this is how things will go," follow it up with, "What evidence do you have?" This approach respectfully challenges their thinking and opens up new avenues of discussion.

The key is to ask questions that elicit better answers. Questions that make people think deeply about their situation, their goals, and their challenges.

7 Types of Questions That Elevate Business Relationships

1. Questions That Make Your Prospects Think

Great questions ignite change, starting fires in prospects' minds. Think: spark (initial question), fuel (follow-ups), fan (exploring alternatives).

We're guides, not heroes - Obi-Wans, not Luke Skywalkers. If we're both trying to be the hero, one of us is in the wrong story. Our role: bolster relationship success, not ego.

To challenge the status quo, understand it first. Offer exponentially better options, not mere improvements.

Use compare and contrast. Provide social proof: "Another client faced this. How are you...?" Ask, don't tell. Show you get their situation.

●      Pro tip: Leave them wanting more. Plant curiosity seeds. Make them think, "I want to know more about this person."

Thought-provoking questions are relationship builders, change initiators, and gateways to growth.

2. Questions That Reframe Challenges or Opportunities

Reframing is about presenting dramatically better solutions. Consider this: If someone only knows about driving from New York to LA, they're looking at a 4-5 day trip. By asking, "Did you know you could get there in 4-5 hours?", you're introducing flying to someone who's never heard of an airplane.

This is an exponentially better alternative. Your job is to understand their current state, present a radically better option, and show how to bridge that gap.

The magic happens when they start asking questions like, "How would that work?" Now you're co-creating. But don't presume knowledge. You have a hypothesis based on homework, but you don't know their specific environment or culture.

Approach with humility. Ask them to help you understand. People have an innate desire to teach. I've been with my company for years but still say, "I'm new here. How does this work again?" It opens doors.

Remember Columbo? His "Just one more question" always cracked the case. That's your model. Show you've done homework, but maintain curiosity.

●      Pro tip: Even if your hypothesis is off, having one shows effort and sparks dialogue. Your goal is co-created solutions.

Think like scientists: Present your perception, then ask, "Am I close?" This conveys curiosity, not a know-it-all attitude. Curiosity, humility, and eagerness to learn - that's your toolkit for reframing challenges and uncovering opportunities.

3. Questions That Convey Your Credibility

Tread carefully with industry jargon. It's not about flaunting your knowledge of the latest alphabet soup of acronyms. That ‘XJ47F212’ might mean something to you, but it could leave your prospect cold.

There's a curse of knowledge. The more you know, the more you might be tempted to prove how smart you are. But when you're talking, you're not listening. And listening is where the gold is.

My trust formula is: credibility + empathy x consistency over time. Sure, credibility means you know your stuff. But empathy? That's about being quiet long enough to ask great sales closing questions and truly understand your prospect's world.

Don't just demonstrate knowledge of current trends. Use that knowledge to ask intriguing questions that show you're in touch without showing off. Create questions that offer social proof or challenge assumptions. That's how you get beyond the obvious and deliver real thought leadership.

4. Open-Ended Questions That Challenge Assumptions

Provoke your customers - not disrespectfully, but thoughtfully. Harvard Business Review dedicated an entire issue to this concept. Why? Because too many leaders are surrounded by yes-men and yes-women.

In large organizations, a leader's suggestions often become commands. As an outsider, your provocative questions can break this pattern. Ask "Why are we doing it this way?" or "Why are we prioritizing these things?" These questions make people stop and think.

Your role is to challenge assumptions effectively and meaningfully. By doing so, you become a valuable outsider, bringing a fresh perspective.

Remember, it's not about being contrarian. Your goal is to help leaders see beyond their usual viewpoint and consider alternatives they might be missing. Done right, these sales closing questions can be your most powerful tool for adding real value.

5. Unique Questions That Stand Out

Forget questions like "What keeps you up at night?" They’re intellectually lazy. Instead, show you've done your homework. "I heard your podcast where you mentioned X. How will you implement that strategy?"

As an outsider, you bring a fresh lens to their challenges. Some of the best sales discovery questions make them see their business from a different angle.

Specificity conveys credibility. Vague questions scream lack of preparation. Do your due diligence. Personalize your approach. Remember, it's about quality relationships, not mass outreach.

Prepare questions that demonstrate your credibility, uncover needs, and set the agenda. Also, anticipate what you'll be asked. That's the intellectual horsepower needed to build real relationships.

6. Questions That Create Forward Motion

Think chess, not checkers. Ask, "What should our next three steps be? How will this play out in the next couple of quarters?" Use time to shift focus from transactional events to long-term impact.

For example, when discussing a sales kickoff, don't just focus on the event.

Ask:

1. Is there connective tissue in your agenda?

2. How will you measure the SKO's impact?

3. How will you reinforce key ideas over the next year?

Remember, growth is a process, not an event. Push for integration of ideas into the culture, not just a one-off experience.

Crucially, don't encourage the next steps in your sales process. Instead, facilitate their buying process. Help them buy, don't try to sell. Focus on solving their problem, not yours.

This approach moves the relationship forward meaningfully, creating long-term value rather than just closing a transaction.

7. Questions That Make You Personable

In the West, we often focus on business first, relationships second. Flip that script. Lead with the personal, but gauge preferences carefully. It's a delicate dance - give a little, take a little, judge the response

Remember, everyone has a life outside work. Show genuine interest, but be savvy. If they don't reciprocate about family, don't push. Be attentive to cues about their comfort level with personal topics.

Contextual relevance is key. Don't compare a two-person team to Disney. Tailor your examples and questions to their specific situation.

Listen to understand, not to respond. Pause, reframe, clarify. Show you truly hear them - emotionally and intellectually.

Daisy-chain your questions: "What's happening? Why? How did we get here? What are the alternatives?" Guide the conversation to understand their current state, future state, and the gap in between - that's where your value lies.

Take the long view. Ask about their career aspirations. Help them get to that next position. The most successful sales professionals build tenure, not just transactions. They become the go-to person in their industry over years, not months.

Remember the trust formula? Credibility + empathy × consistency over time. Your questions should reinforce all these elements.

In essence, questions can be used to build intelligent relationship management - contextually relevant, long-term focused, and highly differentiated. That's how you elevate from sales to true strategic partnerships.

Co-Create Success with Avnir RB

Ready to change your sales conversations? Strategic questioning becomes much easier with Avnir Relationship Bank. With Avnir, you don’t focus on selling; you begin to co-create solutions, challenge assumptions, and build lasting partnerships.

It's time to move beyond the 20,000 contacts and focus on the 100 relationships that truly matter. Prepare, engage, and follow through with intellectual horsepower. Your next real question awaits - sign up to Avnir to find out how we can help you transform your sales approach today.