The document provides advice for using questions to uncover the full truth from new prospects and determine where they are in the sales process. It recommends asking five key questions: "Why change?", "Why now?", "What matters most?", "Who else cares?", and "What did you like?". These questions help identify if a prospect is ready to take action, is considering a decision, or is just gathering information without intent to purchase. Uncovering the truth through questioning early in the sales process helps ensure time and resources are not wasted on prospects who may never buy.

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TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
By: Tom Batchelder
May 2011
Ask these five questions of new prospects to learn what they really want.
We’ve all seen the classic scene between Tom Cruise’s Lieutenant Kaffee and Jack Nicholson’s Colonel
Jessep in the movie “A Few Good Men.” Cruise: “I want the truth!” Nicholson: “You can’t handle the
truth!”
Can you handle the truth? Ask yourself this: When talking with a new prospect, do I shy away from
uncovering the full truth? If the answer is anything but no, ask yourself why. Maybe it’s because you
don’t want to make the prospects uncomfortable or put them on the spot. But more likely you’re afraid
of what you might hear, or not hear, that’s different from what you want to hear. This is
counterproductive. If, when you finally get in front of a fresh piece of new business, you are overcome
by the waves of possibility or blinded by the piles of crisp, clean cash you imagine piling up, wake up!
Open your eyes and stay focused on uncovering details about the prospect and the business and the
issues the prospect is struggling with. In other words, focus on the truth. This is the truth that will help
you best manage the conversation and turn the prospect into a client.
One key to a successful meeting is to be disciplined about how you use your time, energy and resources.
To do this, it’s essential to understand where the prospect is in the process, as follows:
Now! The prospect sees a compelling reason to change, has a reasonable but aggressive timeline, and
can clearly articulate why they want to do business with you.
Not now. The prospect is definitely interested in new ideas and is willing to consider making a change at
some point, just not right away.
Maybe never. The prospect is just kicking the tires and may well be using you as leverage with his
current provider.
The best way to quickly figure out which category a new prospect falls into is to ask appropriate, probing
questions. Slow down for a minute, take a breath and put on your friendly consultant hat. By
questioning, listening and reflecting, help the new prospect understand what they really want, identify
the prospect’s challenges and options, figure out the next steps, and highlight the pros and cons of
making a decision (or not).
If you are supportive and encouraging, chances are good that the prospect will open up and get over
their natural fear of making a bad decision or being exposed or manipulated. A prospect who withholds
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2. information, or maybe even withholds the truth, never reaches a clear decision and ends up doing
nothing.
Switching to this consultative approach starts by reframing what we do as “facilitating a conversation”
versus “selling a product.” To get the truth we need from the prospect, we must detach from the end
game—the sale—and focus on helping and understanding the prospect through questioning and
listening. This doesn’t mean we don’t want the business, but it does mean that we can’t want the
business more than our prospect wants his or her problem solved. So how do you know what questions
to ask? Start with the following five to help you figure out if your prospect is ready for action, in the
decision stage, or just kicking the tires. These questions also will help you and the prospect identify the
next steps.
Why change? “I’m curious, why change what you’re currently doing?”
Why now? “Is there anything in particular that’s driving you to consider a change now?”
What matters most? “Based on all that you shared with me and heard from me, what’s most important
to you?”
Who else cares? “Is there anyone else who cares about these things? Who else has a stake in this?”
What did you like? “Based on our conversation, is there anything that stood out, that was compelling?”
A consultative sales professional’s goal is to understand the critical issues and decision points early in
the sales process. Do this by being less tolerant of ambiguity and by digging deeper to figure out if there
is a compelling reason to keep talking. Questioning to get through the prospect’s natural defensiveness
may be uncomfortable or feel risky at first, even for the most seasoned professionals. Get over it. Not
only do you want the truth, you can handle it. Uncover the truth by understanding where the prospect
is in the decision-making process and by using key questions early on and consistently throughout to
ensure that you waste less time, shorten the sales cycle and close more high-quality new business.
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