Ask, Don't Tell: Power Questions that Build Peer Relationships and Unlock the Sale

Editor's Note: This is the second article in a series of three on how to use power questions to develop clients for life. It is adapted from Andrew Sobel's new book Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others. The first article is Using Power Questions to Win Over Prospects.

---

It often can feel like buyers have the upper hand. They have many service providers to choose from. Everyone calls on them and aggressively pitches for their business. Upstart firms—or those desperate to bolster flagging revenues—may offer to do the same work as you for significantly lower fees. It not only makes it hard to get a sale, but it's emotionally discouraging—even devastating. One CFO defiantly told a client of mine, "If your company went out of business tomorrow, it would make no difference to us!" Ouch.

A related problem in today's markets is the stalled sale. Being treated like a tradable commodity—a vendor—is bad enough. Worse, many of my clients find that they slog through meeting after meeting, month after month, without reaching a sale. There are lots of conversations but no forward progress. You hear only vague allusions to an engagement or deal that might someday develop.

Thoughtful power questions can help you manage both of those situations. Let's look at each in turn.