By: Larry Dickman (TAB Facilitator/Executive Coach specializing in communication-related topics)
The first time I heard the term was in a sales training program, developed by Joe Zente, the TAB franchise owner in Austin, TX. Simple, Interesting-sounding, and self-explanatory, in basic form, Infinite Curiosity is asking instead of telling, discovering, and verifying rather than assuming.
In teaching a college business course, I’ve discovered that when discussing the “sales process”, the natural default for students is to tell the customer what the product can do for them. “Our product has all of these features and benefits… I’m sure you want it.” Infinite Curiosity suggests finding out what the customer wants and needs, first. Once you’re clear on that, you can begin matching their wants and needs to the product or service.
We hear of salespeople who want to know everything about the product before they head out to sell. With Infinite Curiosity in mind, Joe tells the story of a salesperson starting a new job with a scientific instruments company. She had almost no knowledge of the product. By using a thoughtful questioning technique to understand the needs and thinking of customers, she quickly became a top performer. Within 18 months was the number one salesperson in the company.
Infinite Curiosity is a valuable tool for much more than selling. It works for hiring, training, team building, customer service, HR challenges, and almost any communication-related situation. But it’s not only about asking questions; it’s about asking the right kind of questions…open-ended questions.
Simon Sinek has explained “why” as a topic of interest and it’s important as an explanation (people do want to know why) but it’s not always a good questioning technique. “Why” questions can be heard as challenges or accusations and may result in a defensive response or “I don’t know.” We can’t do much with those answers. “What” and “how” questions work better.
Our natural tendency is to tell, fix, correct. There is value derived when we ask and allow the other person to think, clarify, explain, participate. They feel part of the process and may provide fresh insight into the situation. Instead of “Why did you do that?” the question becomes “What do you think it is that made you do that?” Or, “How would you change it if you could do it again?”
To wrap up TAB Board meetings I’ve recently adjusted my closing question. I used to ask: “Is there something of value that you received from the meeting today?” This allows for a “no” or “I can’t think of anything” response. Now I ask: “What one thing brought you the most value from the meeting today?” Open-ended, focusing on choosing something positive.
The next time you face a selling challenge, team building or handling a communication issue, instead of “telling”, ask open-ended questions and discover the value of Infinite Curiosity.