Asking better questions
The person asking the questions is the person leading the conversation.
Open, then narrow
Start wide enough that the owner has to think, then narrow into the expensive detail. Closed questions early kill the conversation; closed questions late confirm it.
- Wide: How are you getting customers at the moment?
- Narrower: What happens when someone fills in the form?
- Expensive detail: How long does it usually take before someone replies?
- Confirming: So if a lead comes in Friday night, it's Monday before anyone sees it?
Silence is a technique
After a real question, stop talking. The second half of an owner's answer is where the truth lives, and most reps talk over it.
Say it like this
Weak
Do you want more leads?
Meri standard
If you got ten more enquiries next month, what would actually happen to them?
The bad question has one obvious answer. The good question exposes a bottleneck.
Practice drill
Write four questions for a restaurant owner that move from wide to expensive detail without pitching once.
Run this drill with Meri CoachKnowledge check
Why do we avoid questions like 'do you want more customers?'
Lesson 5 of 23 in the Meri Academy curriculum.