Watch Questions Are The Answer VIDEO

Watch AF MKOM 1649 - Questions Are The Answer VIDEO

Read Nick Murray's ATY 221 August 09 - The Words Don't Really Matter PDF

Read Nick's ATY 191 July 10 - Questions Communicate Confidence PDF

Read Nick's ATY 192 July 11 - Questioning isn't Interrogating PDF

Read Nick's ATY 193 July 12 - Crafting Your Questions PDF

Read Nick's ATY 196 July 15 - Question Within the Question PDF

Read Nick's ATY 201 July 20 - Hopes and Fears PDF

Read Nick's ATY 202 July 21 - Dreams PDF

Read Nick's ATY 203 July 22 - Isolating On Fear PDF

Read Nick's ATY 205 July 24 - Great Questions: The Antidote to Misconception PDF

Read Nick's ATY 207 July 26 - Don't Get Socratic On Them PDF

Read Nick's ATY 224 August 12 Why Not Just Ask Another Question PDF

Read Steve Siebold's Secrets of the World Class's #82 - Professional Listeners PDF

"It takes reason to answer a question well. It takes imagination to ask it well." -unknown

"Most salespeople talk too much. The more you tell, the less you sell. If you want to close a lot more sales, do nothing but ask questions for the first half of your client interview. The person asking questions controls and leads the sale." -Tom Hopkins

"When it comes to great salespeople, I will take an interested introvert over an interesting extrovert every time. While it may be true that interesting extroverts are the life of the party, drawing others around them, it’s the interested introvert who makes others feel important and who gains their trust. And trust creates the environment for sales."

"It’s easier to teach an introvert how to ask the right questions, than it is to teach an extrovert to shut up!" -Tom Hopkins

The Most Important Skills in Sale: Asking Question (and Listening)¶

The single most important skill in persuasion, and a lost art for many sales people, is the Socratic Method.
How would you like to make your prospects think what you want them to think? You can indeed direct your prospect's thoughts with your questions. I know one super sales person who asks prospects, "What are your plans when your health fails?" Immediately the client's thoughts and mental pictures turn to scenes in a hospital bed or wheelchair. Questions are your most powerful tools for closing more sales.
Questioning done right is therapeutic; done wrong, it's grilling.
Wuestions allow you to find out the facts, for example, how much money they have, how much taxes they pay, how are their current investments allocated, what insurance do they have. You must have all of these facts before you can ever ethically and legally discuss any recommendations (know your client rule).
Increase your stature and credibility in the prospect's eyes. Questions communicate to the prospect that you are a professional and that you are thorough, that you get all the facts before starting into a presentation. You position yourself as a true advisor, a knowledgeable expert, rather than salesperson. Think about a visit to the doctor. Notice how he relentless at asking questions and hesitates to make any diagnoses until he is 98% sure? If you did the same with your prospects, your closing ratio would soar.
Questions allow you to control the conversation. If the prospect starts firing questions at you and you start answering them, who is in control of the conversation? You've lost it and the probability of a sale is very low. Questions allow you to stay in control of the sales conversation.
If you say it they doubt it. If they say it, its true.
It is not the "gift of gab" that is important, but the "skill of asking the right questions and shutting up"!
Statements are "pushy". Questions are "pully". People are like a rope. You can't push them, but you can pull them.
When you’re talking, you’re only learning what you already know.
We push with statements. We pull with questions.
The reason we ask questions is to learn how to lead, instead of being too strong with our opinions.
Questioning allows us to isolated areas of interest and their objections.
You receive minor agreements.

Either response is okay.

Alternate-of-Choice Questions¶

The Alternate-of-Choice question is a question with two answers, either answer is a minor agreement leading towards the major decision.

Read Alternate of Choice, The First Closed-Ended Questions ARTICLE

Examples¶

I have an appointment opening on Monday, or would Wednesday be better?
Do you want to just fully-fund just your IRA right now, or take care of your husband's as well?

Open-Ended Questions¶

A correctly formulated question asked at the right time does one of two things for you:

One: It either moves the conversation forward; or, Two: Tells you that you are on the wrong track.

An open-ended question is to help the prospect elaborate, and to gain more information. It is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer. It is the opposite of a closed-ended (yes/no) question, which encourages a short or single-word answer. Open-ended questions also tend to be more objective and less leading than closed-ended questions.

Open-ended questions typically begin with words such as "Why", "How", "Have you..." or phrases such as "Tell me about...". Often they are not technically a question, but a statement which implicitly asks for a response.

Examples¶

What do you mean by that?
How do you feel about that?
Can you tell me more?
Can you elaborate a little?
What's your reaction to that?
Why do you feel that way?
How do you know that?
Obviously you have a reason for saying that, would you mind sharing it with me?
How often do you notice that you are...
When was the last time you needed to...
What do you do when...
Remember the last time you had a situation where...
What if...
How would you handle...
What happens when...
What problems does it cause you when...
How often...
Please describe ...
Please explain ...
Compare for me how you ...
To what extent...
In what way do you ...
Give me an idea of how ...
Go through the ...
Help me understand...

Tie-Down Questions¶

This is a question at the beginning or end of a sentence that suggests or demands a yes. This must be used naturally and become a speech habit. Nod gently when using. Do NOT overuse the same tie-down over and over again! Learn them all so you can mix them up.

Tie-Downs¶

Isn't it?
Shouldn't it?
Aren't You?
Doesn't it?
Don't you agree?
Won't you?
Wasn't it?
Can't you?
Isn't that right / correct / true?
Couldn't it?
Don't you?
Wouldn't it?
Haven't you?

Normal Tie-Downs¶

Put the tie-down at the end of a sentence. - "Getting a second opinion is important, isn't it?"

Inverted Tie-Downs¶

Put the tie-down at the beginning of the sentence.

"Isn't it important to get a second opinion?"
You wouldn't mind letting me give you a second opinion on your retirement, would you?
You don't want to rely on a financial plan that was created over 10 years ago, do you?

Tag-on Tie-Downs¶

Reply to a prospect's statement with a tie-down to confirm/agree with their statement.

Prospect: "It's good to get a second opinion."
- You: "Isn't it?"
Prospect: "The variable annuity seems like a simple way to guarantee our retirement income?"
- You: "Doesn't it?"

Confirming Questions¶

Read Nick's NMS 03 - Always keep checking for agreement PDF

"How are you both of you feeling about this so far?"
"Does it seem to you that this approach might be well suited to what you are trying to accomplish?"
"Can you see yourselves being comfortable with this approach?"
"Do you see how this would be an improvement on your current situation?"

Involvement Questions¶

This is a question the prospect must ask oneself after owning your offering. Because this technique is somewhat assumptive, always preface the question with "NOT TO BE ASSUMPTIVE..." or "I'M JUST CURIOUS....", or "I was wondering..."

Examples¶

I'm just curious, if both of you could enjoy your Golden Years in the style that you dream of, what kind of things would you do together?

Product-Specific Sample Questions¶

Securities, Financial Planning & Client Interest Questions¶

These are question to entice your prospect to think about working with you as their financial advisor.

"Will your current written strategy bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be?"
"Do you have a coach who helps you make smart financial choices on a regular basis? Or do you just have people who sell you stuff occasionally? Does the idea of a financial coach appeal to you?"
"Fewer than 5% of the people in our country are on track to become financially independent by the time they are in their sixties. Remarkably, a large number of the 95% who are not on track seem to think they are. What about you? Do you know you are on track to be financially independent, or is it possible you are part of the 95% who aren't sure? Would you like to know for sure?"
"Most people's finances can be described as a hodgepodge of diverse investments, insurance policies and bank accounts that don't work together. They've been accumulated at random over many years. Is this how you've purchased your investments, or were they purchased to work in harmony toward achieving your goals?"
"If you were ever going to create a written financial strategy, when would be the best time to do that?"
"Have you ever noticed which athletes have coaches? That's right: the best always have coaches. What about you? Would you like to find out what it's like to have a financial coach who helps you chart a course toward financial independence and then helps you implement your strategy over time?"

Life Insurance¶

Have you ever met a widow with children that had too much financial security?
Would you want to continue taking care of your family financially, even if you passed away?

Living Trusts¶

"Would you like your loved ones to receive their inheritance quickly, or wait up to 6 months or even longer?"
"Would you like to keep your estate private or made public when you pass?"
"Would you like 100% of your estate to go to your loved ones, or would you rather 5% - 10% go to attorneys and court fees."

Referrals¶

Other than yourselves, do you think other people that you know need to hear about these innovative concepts?"
Do you think that your friends and family would be gratefull if you introduced them to the kind of work that I do?"
How many of your friends do you think are on target to accumulate enough cash at retirement?
How many families can you think of that would benefit from knowing this?

Transition Phrases¶

Tag these at the beginning of the questions above in order soften them and make the transition to the question easier.

I'm curious...
I was wondering...
This may be a shot in the dark...

If Questions Don't Work¶

Read Nick's ATY 237 August 25 If You Can't Think of a Question, Try a Non-Answer PDF

Read Nick's ATY 238 August 26 - More on the Non-Answer PDF

Read Nick's ATY 239 August 27 - The Non-Answer Is A Means To An End PDF

Read Nick's ATY 240 August 28 - The Correction Worry PDF

Read Nick's ATY 244 September 01 - Awesome Power of Why PDF