Selling is...inquisitive and skilled

If there is a skill to develop that will serve immediately and always, it’s the skill of asking questions. That skill is best executed if it aligns with true interest to learn about others and what matters to them. Interest isn’t something to feign, but rather to lean into and expand to learn about the other person.

Inquisitiveness is trait that can be developed. It starts with a basic level of curiosity, especially about people – what’s important to them, what they value and what motivates them, what concerns them and what they try to avoid – and it requires building a bank of questions that invite the other person to share and to go deeper.

It also requires the ability to listen deeply as the other person reveals themselves. That means not finding an opening to bring the conversation back to yourself and your opinions or personal examples, but just to keep the focus on them.

That takes something, and it starts with a desire to do better and to be better. The interest to improve can spark the interest of learning about others.

It’s also important to know what you need to learn…about the buyer and their problem, their priorities, and where they are in their buying process…and the questions needed to ask about those,  coupled with objective listening to evaluate their responses.

Now, go build a bevy of questions and start practicing.