ASKING QUESTIONS and NEEDS ANALYSIS as an AUTHORITY

You can not be an AUTHORITY unless you are asking very good questions. To be an AUTHORITY, you must always think of yourself as a stakeholder. Stakeholders probe and probe until they are fully satisfied they have facts and truth. Start with these questions, then probe for facts and create ratios: ● Where have we been? ● Where are we now? ● Where do we want to be? ● How are we going to get there? ● What are the obstacles? ● What resources are needed? ● What are the benefits of Investment? ● Who is going to do it? Why is this important? The reason good questions are critical to being an AUTHORITY is because the answers are the secrets of success: ● Get the facts ● Know the customer's customer... better than the customer does. ● Discover the NOW ● Write proposals for big ideas. Sell the idea...not the benefits. Use three forms of evidence. ● State your unique value that is essential to the success of the idea. ● Deliver what you promise. Through good questioning, an AUTHORITY has the ability for the EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF TRENDS and OPPORTUNITIES Shifts in behavior in markets, people, customers, or changes in policy affects production, design, pricing, business and financial planning. Often, a competitive advantage can be created for AUTHORITY and for clients. Knowledge helps Anticipate Change Being both Strategic and Opportunistic. Markets change. People change. Groups change. Ideology changes. Companies need strong bonds with many constituencies. Customers. The government. The public. The gap between a company and its customers The Art of Questioning as an AUTHORITY Some of the most frequently used types of questions are: WHY is WHY so important? Ask WHY three times. With the first “WHY” you get information. With the second “WHY” you get knowledge. With the third “WHY” you get understanding and insight. Reach for INSIGHT. WHY? What do you mean? What happened when......? What would happen if.....? How do you feel