1.5 - About University

In his best-seller, The Spin ® Selling Fieldbook, Neil Rackham describes the sequence used byhigh-performing, large-project salespeople.SituationQuestionsProblemQuestionsImpliedNeedsImplicationQuestionsNeed-payoffQuestionsExplicitNeedsExtending Rackham’s research toinclude leaders, here is an analysis ofthe questioning sequence used by persuasiveleaders.BenefitsReprinted with permission from McGraw-Hill. Neil Rackham, The Spin SellingFieldbook: Practical Tools, Methods, Exercises, and Resources. McGraw-Hill, 1996, p. 49.Type of question What they are Comments/tips1. Situation Questions“How many people are affected?”“What process do you currently use?”2. Problem questions“How satisfied are you with the currentsituation?”“What problems are you having?”3. Implication questions“How would that increase your costs?”“How does that impact your productivity?”“What effect does this problem have onyour success?”• Safe and easy questions to get backgroundinformation about theclient’s situation.• Often begin with “What?”,“Who?”, “When?”, and “Howmuch?”• Helpful to start a conversation, butit’s better to do your homework.• Questions about the problems,difficulties, dissatisfactions of a clientthat you can solve with yoursolutions.• More effective leaders ask moreproblem questions than situationquestions, and they ask them sooner.• The best problem questions get atconcrete needs.• These are “What will happen if youdon’t deal with this problem?” questions.• The most powerful of all questions,these ask about the implications ofnot solving the problems identified.• These questions are about theeffects or consequences of theclient’s problems.• Put bluntly, these questions inducepain by having the othersthemselves point out the negativeconsequences of not solving theproblem, thus creating a strongneed to solve the problem.❑❑❑❑❑❑❑Successful persuaders do ask thesequestions, but use them economically.These questions are not highlycorrelated with persuasiveness.The more senior the manager, theless he or she likes answering thesequestions.Problem questions are effective tothe degree your products or servicesprovide a solution to a client’sproblem.It is helpful to think less ofsolutions than the businessproblems that are solved by yoursolutions.For new leaders, these questionscan help you become moreeffective quickly.The most persuasive leadersintroduce solutions late in thediscussion, after questions aboutthe situation and problems.288 SECTION 9 TOOLS FOR LEADING AND INFLUENCING OTHERS