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Have you ever found yourself in a client meeting using questions like these?
“If I had something that could…”(Often followed by, “would you be interested?”)
“If you had a way to…” (Often followed by, “would you find value in that?”)
“What if I had…”
“What if you could…”
I have seen advisors ask questions this way with perfectly good intent. They are trying to help.
But how did you feel when you read those words?
How do you read those questions if they are coming from someone who gets paid if you take their advice? Didn’t each of those questions sound cheesy? Can you see some old-time seller asking them, then winking and rolling the pen? (“Rolling the pen” is an old-school closing trick, kids. Don’t do it!)
The culprit is a small, unassuming word that kills your credibility and makes your selling sound cheesy: “If.”
The problem with “if”
Outside of client and prospect interactions, the word “if” is useful – it can do anything from supposing (if X, then Y) to introducing a condition (I’ll jump if you jump first). And although those functions are generally neutral, in sales the word “if” has unintended negative consequences.
“If/then” and “If/would” questions are classic trial closes
In transactional sales, this question pattern is exactly how they teach sellers to start the closing process. Most transactional sellers, especially the “hose-and-close” kind, use this technique. Your clients are used to being closed by sellers this way.
“If” is disingenuous
I hate “leading” questions – and so do your customers. Buyers have heard “if” a million times, and they’re bracing for your bruise-punching submarine of implications. “If” signifies a trap to a wary buyer, like the smell of the hunter warns the woodland animals.
“If” is way overused
In my book, Love and Selling, I railed against the curse of the typical – a condition whereby producers copy techniques out of sales books and end up commoditizing themselves. The “If…would” question is the most overused and thus clichéd.
Alternatives to “if”
Although I just cautioned you to avoid copying techniques from sales gurus, there are some ways you can avoid the salesy sound of “if.” (Also, I am not a guru.) Here are some examples:
Change “if” into an open-ended question
You can substitute an open-ended question for “if” by starting your question with one of the “Ws” (who, what, where, when, why) or their cousin, “how.”
Examples:
Replace “if” with “I can”
When you have something valuable, it does you no good to present it as a hypothetical. Instead, present it as an actual by substituting the indefinite “if” for a form of the present tense that makes your capabilities definite.
Examples:
- “We can help you with X. I propose we take the next step together.”
- “We have a way for you to do this.”
- “My solution helps with needs like yours. Would you like to see it?”
Plan your questions
Most advisors “ad lib” their questions, and this is generally okay. When you’re trying to refine your questions, though, planning them in advance is a best practice.
Examples:
- Plan the questions you’ll use immediately before introducing a new idea, capability, or solution. This is the first area where “if” questions are likely to show up.
- Plan the questions you’d normally ask to get clients to share feedback and quantify the value of what you’re showing them. When you’re trying to paint the picture of what’s in it for the client, “if” questions are likely to lurk.
Avoid the tiny word that makes you salesy
The consultative art of advising clients relies on strong semantics. When you eliminate the “if/then” and “if/would” question patterns that clients associate with transactional sellers, you avoid coming off as salesy and maintain your credibility as an advisor.
Dan Smaida is the curator of the AdvisoryEDGE Forum (www.AdvisoryEDGE.com) and author of “Love and Selling”
Read more articles by Dan Smaida
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
