Who Else Cares

“Never ask a question that forces a lie” is one of my favorite quotes from Bill Caskey, author of Same Game, New Rules. Most make the mistake of asking prospects if they are the ones who can make the decision. This is a setup for getting lied to or presented with an incomplete picture of their decision-making process. A question like “Who else cares?” can elicit a more nuanced picture of the other influencers in any decision to make a change. Once we have uncovered the pain that our contact is feeling or the change they are desiring, it’s important that we not leave the call or meeting without a sense of the other players involved. Other ways that you can ask the question: “Who else has a stake in this,” “Who else cares about solving for this, “Who else has a voice in making this decision?” This open-ended question will get us a better answer about who else we might need to include in our qualification process going forward.

Asking any version of “Who else cares?” will get us one step closer to ensuring we have all the right people in the room and included in dialogue about making a change.

Some simple reminders to be vigilant about when implementing this type of question…

Don’t ask yes or no questions.
Questions that lead the prospect to a yes or no answer are not very useful. Examples: “Are you the one who makes the decision?” “Does that sound good?” “If we could do X, would that solve your issue?” STOP asking leading or dead-end questions like those.
Use warm-up phrases to disarm.
“Can you give me a sense of…” is a warm-up phrase to preface a question like “Who else cares?” “In my experience” as a warm-up can also explain why you’re asking the question, e.g.: “In my experience, there are usually others who are going to want to weigh in on this. Can you give me a sense of who else has a stake in this decision?”
Use the information to inform next steps.
When you ask who else cares, you’re going to get information about other people. Make sure you act on this by then suggesting who will need to be included in your process moving forward and how. Be clear where the other decisionmakers will fit into your next steps. Be willing to respectfully walk away if your contact shields you from interacting with other key stakeholders.

Asking thoughtful questions in disarming ways is the best approach to ensuring an efficient, effective sales process. Seek the truth of what’s going on with your prospect and all the players involved in a decision to make a change. Use this information to inform your process steps and ensure that you are equally in control of deciding whether you’re a fit.

Onward.

Tom