Sep 14, 2020
Provoking Questions vs Discovery Questions: How to Get Your
Customer to Think and Self-Reflect
The answer to this is in this podcast let’s get started.
Podcast Transcript
There are two types of questions, discovery questions and provoking questions.
Discovery Questions
Discovery questions focus on “WHAT.” Discovery questions are
designed to identify existing needs, problems, customer pain
points, customer’s goals etc.
Discovery questions are designed to get to the known, to ferret out
what the customer knows about their environment.
Here are some examples:
What are you challenged with?
What are you trying to accomplish?
What happens when you miss XYZ?
How will you be measuring success?
What have been the results to date?
Are you happy with your current environment?
What tools are you using?
Discovery questions target the known. Our goal is to “discover”
what is happening with the client in an effort to understand their
world and offer a solution to their problem.
Discovery questions are great questions that provide the context we
need to begin formulating a solution. Normally, however, not the
best solution.
Why?
Because discovery questions don’t go far enough.
Provoking Questions
Provoking questions take questioning to the next level. Provoking
questions are designed to challenge the customer to get them
thinking in ways they hadn’t thought. Provoking questions are
questions designed to get into the thinking processes and the logic
behind their choices. Provoking questions target what is
and was behind the decisions of your customers and prospects.
It provides insight into what the customer or prospect knows, what they don’t know and what they will prioritize to make their decisions. Provoking questions help you and your customer or prospect evaluate what they are doing and why.
Here are some examples:
Where you aware that . . . ?
Did you know . . . ?
Have you considered . . . ?
Can I ask why you . . . ?
Have you seen . . . ?
Would you . . . ?
What was the motive behind . . . ?
Provoking questions get the customer or prospect to think.
Effective questioning enables the customer to put unambiguous
definition and great clarity around the issues and opportunities
they are trying to address.
To be able to respond to great questions from the sales person, the
customer has to put structure, definition, and priorities around
what they are trying to achieve.
. . . Great questions can help the customer think about how they
will make the decision.
Ask provoking questions AND discovery questions. Go deep, get to
what and why. Challenge your customer or prospects to
self-evaluate. The more YOU get them thinking about their choices
and why they are doing what they are doing, the more they’re going
to come to you for direction and guidance.
Be your customers shrink and get them thinking about them!