I had a run in with a sales 'influencer' the other day...

His post talked about bringing insight to a sales meeting with senior level decision makers.

I commented that he should also be asking pertinent questions to understand the prospect's business & situation. 

He disagreed.

"You only get 30 minutes with an executive - you don't want to waste it by asking questions. You need to be bringing insight and a point of view."

"Fair enough" I said..."but you can also do that through thoughtful & challenging questions - the two are not mutually exclusive. 

And if you're really good, you can change their entire perception of a problem & challenge their thinking."

'An exec's time is too valuable for that.'

"Sounds like you put them on a pedestal & seek to win their approval. They're just people, not superhumans. So have an intelligent conversation. You don't need to impress them through imparting knowledge. Your advice also means bringing your own assumptions & biases, so what if you're wrong? Dangerous territory...

Your questions will demonstrate your credibility & understanding of their industry over your answers. And you can only find out about their specific situation by asking. Telling isn't selling."

And he signed off...

Some frightening advice out there.

Remember - asking great questions is a waste of time! 

#sales #selling #advice