Who, what, when, where, why, how?

I heard from a colleague who asked, “What if you cannot derive business value from a client because he is reluctant to talk about his issues openly?” The answer takes me back to my 5th grade class where Sr. Jean Marie taught us the following conversational secrets:

Who? Explain the profile of your existing client base. Talk about results and deliverables and how companies have benefited from your solution. Don’t lead the client down one path; instead, talk about the diversity of the value received. Don’t talk specifics about any one client; but speak about clients in general who have experienced broad impact on business results. If they ask what one of your clients is doing, say, “That is important, and if appropriate, at the right time we may be able to get you to speak to that client about the benefits he received from our company.” You don’t want to give the impression that, if they become a client, they will be used in some sales pitch.

What? What is the perceived value that you see for the client? It is important to do your homework. Listen to the last few quarterly earnings reports; tie your solution to the CEO’s vision, mission statement, guiding principles and business issues.

When? “When” is a tricky, but an important aspect of early conversation with a prospect. It can also set you apart from most other salespeople. Every salesperson I know prepares in detail for meetings with executives, but few talk about the work they put into preparation for the meeting. “When” can take the following tact, “When I was preparing for this call I learned a few things about your company.” Tell them a few points you learned in your preparation, “Margins are down”, “Inventory is up”; whatever the facts are, tell them what you know. They will appreciate the fact that your have done your homework.

Where? Explain in general terms where have you done it before; where in the business cycle can they expect to see results? Be careful that you do not tread on the unique value that you offer to other clients; just because their main competitor is your client does not mean that they need the same issue solved. Explain where you provided unique value that gave your client a unique benefit. They invited you to a meeting to hear what you can offer them, not what you delivered to another company. Your reputation or client base may have gotten you in the door; the unique business value you offer may get the dance.

How? Explain how results are articulated and how you have helped other companies with business issues. Explain the lifecycle of an implementation, how it impacts the business and how it can be rolled out to capture low hanging benefits first.

Why? Why did they accept this meeting? Why do they see a requirement? Why is your differentiator important to them? Why you, your product and your company? They saw or heard something that they think can be a benefit. It is important to discover why they accepted the meeting and why they think that your product or service can benefit them. Get them to talk about what they see as the solution and why they think you can add value to the process.


Bottom Line ; What we say and how we say it can make or break the relationship with our clients. Who, what, when, where, why and how questions get your client talking and you listening. Don’t open your mouth and pop in the spec sheet or product of the week. A good salesperson is a good listener. A great salesperson asks great questions and triangulates answers into a solution that ties unique value to business benefit for the client.