Sometimes stuff happens that makes you think, “That was important!”

I really don’t like making people uncomfortable, but if the people are prospects, it’s probably necessary, and what I like or don’t like doesn’t matter. A client’s discomfort will typically increase the closer that you get to the root of the problem. At first, the answers to your questions may come easily, casual, even flip. As you delve deeper, you may have to re-ask questions or re-phrase questions because the prospect will not hear them or dodge them in an attempt to not answer. At the deepest level, you may find that your prospect is conflicted between what they want to do and what they must do.

What would you do if you helped a prospect realize that they had to buy from you, because if they didn’t, they would probably go out of business? But what if everybody realizes that the prospect really does want to go out of business? Would you let them go out of business or would you tell them they were crazy and that they should stay and buy from you? What would you tell your boss?

In the grand scheme of things, whether or not a prospect buys from you, today, may not change the world. But remember that your questions might start them thinking and thinking and thinking and realize that they need to make a major change. Watch their level of discomfort.

That will be important.