16 Listening Questions

The following list of questions should be used in conjunction with the 6 “I”s model.  These questions will help you generate conversation over the phone with potential clients at every stage of the relationship.  These are open-ended questions that should prompt the other party to talk while you gather knowledge about their current needs and resources.

  1. Have you used others services/products like this in the past?
  2. How was that experience?
  3. How did your company first know there was a problem?(if there was one)
  4. Was there anything you wish had happened?
  5. What requirements do you have internally for this type of a service/product?
  6. Is there a timeline your firm had in mind for making a decision?
  7. What is the culture of your company like?
  8. How is your company different from most in terms of service/product needs?
  9. Can you elaborate on that last point?
  10. What do you think about this?
  11. What would you like because of this conversation?
  12. Are there other services or products that you would like to talk about?
  13. What stage in the purchasing process is your firm in?
  14. What is your firm’s budget for this service/product?
  15. What has changed since the last time we spoke?
  16. Who else is working on the selection of this service/product?

“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”
– Peter Drucker

Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win. 
– Nadia Comaneci  (Olympian – won 5 god medals in one year)

Source: http://www.raiseaum.com/InvestmentMarketingSales_16_Listening_Questions.html