Philosopher George Santayana was onto something when he said, "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Similarly, as a consultant or business developer, you should explore the past mistakes of your prospective clients to help keep them from repeating it. Questions about the present and future are useful, but, if you confine yourself to these, you will lose out on having historical information as a reference.

It Isn't Happening

During my sales training sessions, I ask attendees to write down all of the typical questions they ask, regardless of whether they're making a first-time sales call or renewing an established relationship. When I collect the responses, without fail, 90 percent of the questions are about the present. Only a few cover the future, and rarely do I collect any regarding the past.

Why? Oftentimes, people fear dwelling on last year's, or even last month's mistakes: "You can't change the past, can you? So why bother asking questions about it?"

Members-Only Premium Content   

• Free Webinars: Access all recorded webinars (full members attend all live webinars free).
• Free Tools and Guides: Receive all how-to guides and tools sold in the RainToday Store free.
• Research and Reports: Receive 20% off all research and benchmark reports.
• 1,000+ Articles: Access over 1,000 professional services marketing, sales, and leadership articles.
• Exclusive Premium Content: Access members-only interviews, templates, and case studies.