Why The Best Salespeople Think Like Strategists, Not Search Engines
In an era where ChatGPT can answer questions in seconds, I believe the real competitive advantage has shifted from having all the answers to asking the questions your competitors can't or won't.
Remember when the "always be closing" mantra from Glengary Glen Ross ruled the sales world? Well, those days are dead, buried under an avalanche of AI-generated insights and instant Google searches. Instead, welcome to the era of ABQ: Asking better questions.
But this isn't another soft-skill sermon. This is about weaponizing curiosity to create competitive advantages that AI can't replicate and competitors can't copy.
The Instant Answer Paradox
Your prospects know more about your product, competitors and options than ever before. They've already read the case studies, compared pricing and stalked your LinkedIn profile. By the time they're talking to you, they're not looking for information—they're looking for transformation.
Yet I find that most salespeople are still playing the old game, armed with feature lists and benefit statements, wondering why their "consultative selling" feels like interrogation. The problem? We're asking the wrong questions.
The Three Questions That Change Everything
After analyzing what separates lazy overachievers from hard-working underperformers, I've identified three question frameworks that I see consistently unlock opportunities others may miss:
"If we could solve [specific challenge]
, what would you do with all that time, energy and focus you're currently spending on this problem?"
Past understanding pain points, it's about understanding potential. I find that most salespeople focus on the cost of the problem. But smart salespeople focus on the opportunity cost of not solving it.
When a CEO tells me they'd "finally focus on strategic planning instead of putting out fires," I'm hearing their vision for growth and the transformation they're really buying. You can only save so much. Your job is to help find profit elsewhere.
"If we could model your [process/approach] after any company from a completely different industry, who would it be and why?" This reveals their aspirational identity while bypassing industry tunnel vision.
I once asked a struggling restaurant owner this question. His answer? "Amazon's fulfillment centers. They make complex logistics look effortless." That conversation led to implementing systems that transformed his operation. He wasn't buying software; he was buying his Amazon moment.
"What's the one question your biggest competitor would love to know about your business?" This simultaneously reveals a leader's competitive advantages, strategic thinking depth and intelligence they're protecting.
The follow-up then opens wallets: "How would strengthening this advantage change your market position?"
The Real Job Description
Your job isn't to sell products or services. Your job is to make your clients look smarter, better, faster and even freer.
When you ask the energy redistribution question, you're showing them how to be faster by eliminating inefficiencies. When you explore their industry envy, you're helping them become better by adopting best practices from unexpected places. When you uncover their competitive intelligence, you're making them smarter about their own strategic advantages.
And when you help them envision the transformation? You're offering them freedom—freedom from current limitations, freedom to pursue bigger opportunities, freedom to become the leader they aspire to be.
Why ABQ Leverages What AI Still Can't Do
Recent research from Apple reveals AI's persistent struggles with empathy, logic and rationalization. These are the exact skills that separate great salespeople from order-takers.
Artificial intelligence can process information, but it can't process intention. It can analyze data, but it can't rationalize dreams with reality. It can provide answers, but it can't empathetically guide someone through the logic of transformation.
This isn't about competing with AI; it's about leveraging the uniquely human capabilities that AI can help amplify. When you ask better questions, you're using empathy to understand unspoken needs to help prospects justify the transformation they already want.
In my experience, the questions above work because they're not seeking information—they're seeking transformation. They're about finding out who your prospects want to become.
A Guide To Implementation
Here's some ways to implement ABQ by leveraging AI for research while reserving the human touch for transformation.
Before the meeting:
• Use AI (and other sources) to research their industry's transformation stories and pain points.
• Identify and research their competitors to understand the competitive landscape.
• Identify two to three companies from other industries facing similar challenges.
• Let AI help you map potential energy redistribution scenarios based on their business model.
During the conversation:
• Lead with curiosity informed by intelligence, not information dumps.
• Build off AI-gathered insights to ask deeper, more relevant questions.
• Position yourself as the architect of their transformation, not the researcher of their industry.
• Let your preparation show through question quality (again, not data regurgitation).
After the meeting:
• Reference their aspirational comparisons in your proposal.
• Use AI to help craft compelling narratives around their transformation journey.
• Frame your solution as their bridge to that evolution, supported by industry intelligence.
The New Sales Reality
In a world where information is abundant but transformation is rare, I believe the salespeople who will thrive are those who can help prospects envision and achieve their next level of evolution.
Your competitors are still asking about budget, authority, need and timeline. While they're collecting data points, you'll be collecting transformation stories.
Overall, it's time we recognize that our prospects don't need another vendor with answers. They need a partner with questions—the right questions that unlock possibilities they hadn't considered. The future of sales is about asking the questions that make your competitors' answers irrelevant.
In an age of instant answers, the right questions are your ultimate competitive advantage. "What question would make your prospects forget about your competitors?"
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