ASK ORIGINAL QUESTIONS.

ASK ORIGINAL QUESTIONS. In marketing and sales, the most fundament principle is to promote benefits rather than attributes. In other words, it is more effective to discover and then accentuate what is relevant to the consumer instead of simply bragging about all the features of your product or service -- some or all of which may not be relevant to your audience.

In other words, literally, it is more productive to listen more and talk less. To take advantage of this inherently difficult process, salespeople need to challenge themselves (and their prospects) by replacing sales pitches with thoughtful, probing questions.

Think about how infrequently you actually are asked an original, personal question -- and how much-appreciated and memorable the experience is. It is the same thing with a talk show guest who noticeably perks up when the host poses a unique question: “Wow, I’ve never been asked that before.”

A top sales consulting firm includes a key question on the inquiry sheet to be completed during calls with adult children considering aging services for their parents: “What is your greatest concern for your loved one at this time?” The question is valuable and probably never been posed to the individual. And, best of all, the purpose of the answer is mutually beneficial: Your consideration will almost certainly leave a lasting impression that distinguishes you and your community from the competition.

Feel free to test the approach on family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances. You will find playing talk show host or journalist is always appreciated.