5 Whys and Why You Should Use It
The 5 Whys is a root cause analysis tool. It sounds fancy, but it's just a fancy way of saying "Ask more questions."
It's a known fact that people want to be heard and understood (funny how ‘fact’ and ‘feeling’ are in the same sentence here). As a salesperson, you are in a unique position to help customers solve problems. You have the opportunity to uncover, assess, diagnose, and prescribe a solution.
The customer is rooting for you to win and wants you to be good at your job. The best way to demonstrate your knowledge and establish credibility is by peeling the metaphorical onion.

Salespeople sometimes get happy ears. They hear a problem they think they can solve and jump straight into solving it. I know this because I've done it and observed it countless times before.
But wait…
Are you really solving the actual problem or just applying a band-aid to a small crack in a plexiglass shark cage that's doomed from the beginning?
Dramatic? Yes..
If you start by solving the wrong problem, people's jobs may be on the line, especially in enterprise sales, where solutions can run into the millions and take months or even years to win.
So how can you ensure that you're solving the right problem?

Introducing this simple framework that can save you a ton of heartache. You have to accept that the initial meeting(s) with a potential customer may take a little longer.
Remember, move slow to move fast. Do the hard work upfront and spend some time understanding the nature of the problem. This will help speed things up later and ensure you don't get caught with your pants down.
The 5 Whys root cause analysis:
"The 5 Whys is a technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem by repeating the question 'Why?' Each answer forms the basis of the next question. The '5' in the name derives from an anecdotal observation on the number of iterations needed to resolve the problem."
I've created a root cause analysis template for you to review; you can find it in the resources section or you can click here to download.
If you want to roleplay this and see if it works for you and your industry, give me a call at +60162194195.
Good luck! I hope you find this useful.
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