Question planning

- A good business development rep connects their products to the client's stated needs. A stellar rep creates more urgency and positions themselves more strategically by connecting their solution to the client's unarticulated needs and long-term goals. As an advanced business development rep, the secret to differentiating yourself lies in the quality of your questions. There are three areas you want to focus on: the industry, the organization, and your buyer. Your ability to identify areas of opportunity in these three areas will enable you to create more valuable offerings than reps who just pitch product. Let's start with the industry. This is where you can leverage some of your research and ask specific questions about challenges or opportunities facing your customer's industry. For example, an average rep might ask the buyer, what's the biggest challenge in your industry? As a more sophisticated bus dev rep, you can do a little bit of research before the call. Find out if there's…