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I was 22 years old when I started helping Sr. level executives drive their business strategies more effectively. I didn*t have any Answers.

Oh, I had access to a few answers -- and some very talented, seasoned consultants who knew exactly how to implement practical solutions that were saving organizations millions of dollars. At the same time, I*m sure you can imagine just how unreceptive C-Level execs would have been to this 22 year old kid (and the organization that had entrusted him to represent them) had I initially approached those relationships with an *I*ve Got Your Answer* mindset.

The only practical sales tool I had at my disposal was Asking Good Questions. In those days (before Al Gore invented the internet, and you could learn so much about a company right from your computer), you could get away with asking a lot of situational questions * and I think that's what most of my competitors must have been doing . . . asking a bunch of situational questions, and then jumping right into a sales presentation explaining how their solution was designed to help companies just like theirs.

Fortunately, I was representing a Change Management Consulting firm at the time -- so in order to have a meaningful conversation, I needed to know what changes the prospect was currently experiencing or anticipating in the near future. That one question, *What's Changing?* proved to be incredibly helpful for me and my prospects both.

I*m 44 now. The gray temples, 20 plus years of experience, and a pretty good (even google-friendly) reputation for knowing a thing or two about Leading People and Solving Sales Problems have afforded me some credibility. Most execs will initially give me the benefit of the doubt. And I do have some Answers * Answers most execs need . . . and candidly, several Answers to very serious challenges that I don*t really need much information from the prospect in order to arrive at.

This presents an altogether different challenge than the one I faced early in my career * an ego-feeding, very seductive trap that I consistently struggle to avoid . . . giving answers to people who don*t have questions.

I mention this because Asking Good Questions is more important to my success than ever before * and I*m finding that this particular question, *What's Changing?* is one of the most powerful, productive questions I can pose:

- There's always an answer

- The answer is different enough for each company, that the question is perceived as meaningful (even insightful)

- The answer is so subjective (uncovers perception unique to the individual) that I can ask it of everyone in the company

- The question provides the (much needed) opportunity for the prospect to practice articulating some key change messages

- The question so naturally breeds important conversation around implications and consequences

- The question produces still more (meaningful) questions in the prospect's mind ** -- creates one or more of those *coachable moments* so critical to consultative sales.

** This is when (actually, it's the only time when) your hard-earned experience, your superior product knowledge -- your ideal solutions -- hold any genuine value for the prospect. And I*d wager that once these two conditions are met: 1) You know the prospect's perspective on what's changing in their world, and 2) the prospect has begun to ask themselves some meaningful questions about meeting the challenges those changes present . . . that your conversations will become far more productive, and your counsel far better received.

For me at least . . . If I can get the prospect to tell me What's Changing, and to demonstrate even a little bit of curiosity about how to deal with it . . . I know I can help them * and I know they*re much more likely to let me help them. I'll bet the same is true for you.

Try it . . . Ask *What's Changing?* in your next few sales calls / client meetings, and let me know how it goes for you. In fact, share your story with us at stone@marketmate.org.