Mitigate Risk with Anxiety Questions

© 2019 ValueSelling Associates, Inc. | Creator of the ValueSelling Framework®
Mitigate Risk by Asking
Anxiety Questions
Presented by Julie Thomas
President & CEO
March 21, 2019
This document contains proprietary information of ValueSelling Associates. Its receipt or possession does not convey any rights to reproduce or
disclose its contents or to manufacture, use, or sell anything it may describe. Reproduction, disclosure, or use without specific written authorization of
ValueSelling Associates is strictly forbidden.
Thank you for joining us today.
We will be getting started shortly.
In the meantime, please share the location that you’re
joining us from. Submit your answer in the Q&A window.

Follow and engage with us!
ValueSelling-
Associates
ValueSellingAssocValueSelling
Associates
@Valuselling
#ValueSelling #VSAWebinar
#KeepItSimpleDriveResults

Poll
Howmany ofyou
areusing anxiety
questions today?

Suspect?

Feel you’re running around in circles?

© 2019 ValueSelling Associates, Inc. | Creator of the ValueSelling Framework®© 2019 ValueSelling Associates, Inc. | Creator of the ValueSelling Framework®
• What is an anxiety question?
• How to create good anxiety questions
• Three key opportunities to use an anxiety question
• Five specific tactics to improve prospect engagement
throughout the sales cycle
Objectives for today

People buy from people.People buy from people.
People need a reason
to change.
People need a reason
to change.
The product is in the mind
of the buyer.
The product is in the mind
of the buyer.
People make emotional buying
decisions for logical reasons.
People make emotional buying
decisions for logical reasons.
The correct use of power
is key.
The correct use of power
is key.
You can’t sell to someone who
can’t buy.
You can’t sell to someone who
can’t buy.
Fundamental Principles

Questions lead to solutions.

Ask better questions
• Ask for advice – not favors
• Be specific
• Be interested in others’ success
• Respect that time and expertise is valuable
• Be a person
• Find ways to be helpful
• Practice your ask
“How to get anything you want by
asking better questions”
Emma Johnson Forbes.com @JohnsonEmma

anx·i·e·ty
/aNG’zīədē/ noun
a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease,
typically about an imminent event or
something with an uncertain outcome.

Aimed at getting prospect to
momentarily experience
consequence or implication of
inaction.

Anxiety
questions are
designed to:
• Break the prospect’s
current thought
process
• Thought provoking
• Reshape perspective
or point of view
• Open an unexpected
dialogue
• Shift the prospect’s
thinking purposefully
and productively

Anxiety?
Consequence…
Negative outcome…
Unpleasant implication…
Fear, uncertainty and doubt…

Anxiety Questions
• May be only way some prospects will
respond to you, and be open to a
conversation
• Aimed at getting prospect to momentarily
experience consequences of not having or
considering your product or service
• Should create an emotional impact or an
emotional response with the buyer:
• Tune into their motivation, their WII-FM!

“What will happen if you are unable to
achieve your revenue target this year?”

First:
• What is the negative consequence of not taking action
Then:
• Create lead-in that relates to that consequence
• What is the risk..
• If this doesn’t go as planned, then what?
• Reference previous experience or research
Follow a positive response with:
“We’ve got some experience in this area, can we talk about how you’re
dealing with this now?”
Creating anxiety questions

Is it
provocative?
Does it get
them to think
about the
future?
Does it risk
rapport?
1 2 3
© 2017 ValueSelling Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
Anxiety questions test points

Anxiety
questions
should be:
• Not confrontational, but instead educational
or instructional
• Provocative/challenging
• Knowledge / expertise-based
• Respectful

When to use
an anxiety
question

Business Issue
Problem Solution
Value Power Plan
Differentiated
VisionMatch™
confirm confirm
Value Buying Process™

When to use an
anxiety question
To discussBusiness
Issuesand
Problems
Business Issue
Problem Solution
VisionMatch

When to use an
anxiety question
To disruptthe
client’svisionof
theSolution
Business Issue
Problem Solution
VisionMatch

When to use an
anxiety question
To createurgency
whereno
urgencyseems
to exist
Value

An excellent
anxiety
question
“Do you want to spend the rest of your
life selling sugared water or do you
want a chance to change the world?”
Steve Jobs to John Sculley (Pepsi Executive). 1983

Maintaining Engagement

Five tactics to
maintain
engagement
• Prepare
• Focus on customer / prospect needs,
wants, and process
• Listen actively
• Never leave without the next meeting
• Create a timeline, beginning with the
first meeting

• Anxiety questions
• Get prospects to momentarily experience the consequences
of not having your product/service
• Follow an anxiety question with a positive response
• “Can we discuss some options for dealing with this issue…?”
• Use anxiety questions to
• Uncover additional problems
• Disrupt prospect’s view of the solution (competion)
• Create urgency
• Resynchronize Buying and Selling process
Summary

Questions?

Go to valueselling.com > resources > webinars
to download today’s slides
At the end of today’s webinar

31
ABM for Sales: Double Your Deal Size
April 16, 2019 | 10:00 AM Pacific
Save the date!

32
Win more business faster without
compromising on price
May 29 & 30| San Diego
ValueSelling Framework Public Course

Thank you!
• Keep it simple. Drive Results.
Julie Thomas
+1 858 759 7954
julie.thomas@valueselling.com
in/julieathomas ValueSellingAssociates
Thank you!

Mitigate Risk with Anxiety Questions

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

Similaire à Mitigate Risk with Anxiety Questions

Similaire à Mitigate Risk with Anxiety Questions (20)

Plus de ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Plus de ValueSelling Associates, Inc. (18)

Dernier

Dernier (19)

Mitigate Risk with Anxiety Questions