Candace Franco Training Director Change your talk-to-listen ratio & change everything for the better The Art of the Question

A The Purpose We want to elevate our questioning skills rt toan F or m

The Process 1. Actively work on our questions 2. We will look at two different kinds of questions and talk about when and how to use each 3. Examine the focus of our questions 4.We will explore how to soften the landing of difficult to ask questions

The Payoff When you elevate your questions to an Close more salesIncrease the amount of your average sale Provide better customer service Art F orm you:

Take 1.5 minutes and write as many questions as you can. Exercise 1

? Technical Questions Two Kinds of Questions Ignition Questions

Technical questions seek specific information that is directly related to the service or products that you provide. Technical Questions

Do you own cemetery property? Are you considering cremation or burial? Do you belong to a church? Do you have family members buried in our cemetery?

Technical Questions When used in a list, these questions can feel cold and impersonal… like an interrogation

Ignition Questions Ignition questions light a fire! Ignition questions uncover needs and desires. Ignition questions spark thinking. Good ignition questions are open but focused Ignition questions expand possibilities.

“I find most people have thought, at least a little, about their funeral. What they want or don’t want, tell me when you think about your service what is important to you?”

“Now that I have an idea about what is important to you we should consider the people who are close to you. Whom should we be thinking about as we put your funeral plan together?”

“Today’s funerals are a reflection of our lives: our work, our interests, our belief system and the groups or organizations to which we belong. Tell me about you. What will we want to consider as we put your plan together?”

Look at the questions you wrote down earlier Put a beside the ones that are Technical Exercise 2 Next to the Ignition questions, write an

Discussion: Share examples from your list. Exercise 2 Look at the questions you wrote down earlier

Ask an ignition question Listen Listening is the link Listen to the answer Respond with a technical

“I find most people have thought, at least a little, about their funeral—what they want or don’t want. Tell me what is important to you?” Example Respond with a technical or a new ignition question “I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I want to keep it simple.”

Exercise 3

Focus When you have really heard it, you know exactly where to go. Based on what you have told me, I would suggest…

Balance

Three good questions. Getting Started Lose the list Listen.

121 East Second Street, Franklin, OH / Fax: © 2013 Outlook Group, Inc., All rights reserved. Outlook Group is a trademark of Outlook Group, Inc. Training series 1:2 Candace Franco Training Director