Salespeople (not you, of course) are known for asking poor questions – questions that are not only embarrassing but also rude.

The dumbest question in sales is “What will it take to get your business?” It’s by far the worst question you can ask a customer. It makes you a price seller rather than a value provider, and it makes you look like you “need” the sale rather than want to earn and grow a relationship.

REALITY: There is a close second to the dumbest question, and it’s the subject of this article. “What keeps you up at night?” Are you kidding me? NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, that’s what!

Why not ask prospects a question that relates to their real life, and their present situation, that’s potentially more revealing than a Miss America question?

MAJOR AHA! QUESTION: What wakes you up in the morning?

It’s a positive-based question that, when asked with a smile, will get you real answers, real facts, and reveal real truths. It’s lighthearted but powerful, and when followed up with “What else?” or “Then what?” will create a dialogue that is totally customer-focused – thereby achieving the purpose of the interaction.

Below are possible answers. Here’s what to do: Think of all these answers IN TERMS OF YOURSELF FIRST. What wakes YOU up? It reveals your top-of-mind thoughts, issues, concerns, goals, problems and attitude toward them. Got it? Now direct them at the customer or prospect and listen to the eye-popping, ear de-waxing and self-qualifying answers.

You ask, “What wakes you up in the morning?” They answer:

• Light of day. Easy answer. Leads to, “Then what?”

• Alarm clock. Another easy answer. Still leads to, “Then what?”

• Kids. Great answer! Leads to all kinds of mutual discussion points and common interests if you also have them.

Now let’s take it deeper. Asking the “Then what?” question will get them to the next phase of their reality. You might ask, “What else wakes you up?” or the more powerful, “Then what?” They might say:

• Money, or the lack of it. Think of this one in terms of yourself. Go lightly, but it’s very revealing.

• Health issues. If they have a physical ailment or some medical condition, it may affect their attention span or decision-making capability.

• Energy/positive anticipation. This is GREAT. An enthusiastic person can connect with your compelling presentation and catch your positive feelings.

• Big issues. IRS, business failure, damaged reputation, lawsuits. A pending merger or pending big order could be a positive light.

• Business issues. The day-to-day often gets in the way of the month-to-month and the year-to-year. Stay away from the mundane, and be aware of the complainer.

• Personal issues. Family and relationship issues can have a real impact (either way) on your meeting outcome – pending marriage or pending divorce?

• Unfinished issues. Stuff undone. “Wait until after …” are defeating words to the ears of salespeople. But if you know what they are, you can get a better sense of “when?”

• Projects under way. When your customers dwell on “present situation” and “major project,” you can expect postponement. Make sure you nail down expected completion date.

MAJOR CLUE: Don’t overdo the process. Ask a few questions, gain a few answers, and then move on. As a result, you have some new information, maybe some common interests, a few smiles and certainly a thinking prospect.