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Sales Skills / Ask Better Questions, Sell More / Lesson 26
LESSON 26 · ASK BETTER QUESTIONS, SELL MORE

Discover Their Deadline

Twenty practical ways to discover the customer’s deadline, so you match your pace to their calendar.

Deadlines shape decisions. Ask early and plan backwards.

10 tipsEasy things to say7-day plan
Start with tip 1
Jump to the 7-day plan

10 tips that really help

These ideas come from SPIN Selling (Neil Rackham), Gap Selling (Keenan), The Sandler Rules (David Mattson), and everyday practice. The first six help the most. Pick one and try it today.

Photo for the tip: Deadlines drive action
TIP 1

Deadlines drive action

Knowing when they need results helps you plan and prioritise.

TRY THIS
Ask early.
Photo for the tip: Ask what date matters
TIP 2

Ask what date matters

When would you like this in place? is simple.

TRY THIS
Listen for reasons.
Photo for the tip: Ask why that date
TIP 3

Ask why that date

Behind it may be an event or a budget cycle.

TRY THIS
Learn the driver.
Photo for the tip: Be honest about your capacity
TIP 4

Be honest about your capacity

Share when you can deliver.

TRY THIS
Avoid overpromising.
Photo for the tip: Check progress
TIP 5

Check progress

Follow up as dates approach.

TRY THIS
Calendar it.
Photo for the tip: Adjust gracefully
TIP 6

Adjust gracefully

If plans shift, adapt calmly.

TRY THIS
Stay flexible.
Photo for the tip: Dates give direction
TIP 7

Dates give direction

Real deadlines drive action.

TRY THIS
Ask for one.
Photo for the tip: Ask about decision date
TIP 8

Ask about decision date

Different from start.

TRY THIS
Ask.
Photo for the tip: Handle delays
TIP 9

Handle delays

Ask why.

TRY THIS
Be patient.
Photo for the tip: Ask when they need it
TIP 10

Ask when they need it

Plain.

TRY THIS
Use it.

Easy things to say

When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many sales conversations.

ASK

“When would you like this in place?”

REASON

“What is driving that date?”

FLEX

“Is the date flexible?”

STEPS

“What needs to happen before then?”

PLAN

“Let us work backwards from that date.”

THANKS

“That is helpful.”

Your first week

One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.

DAY 1
Ask for the date
DAY 2
Ask what drives it
DAY 3
Ask about flexibility
DAY 4
List steps back from it
DAY 5
Set reminders
DAY 6
Check in on time
DAY 7
Review slips

Further reading

  • SPIN Selling (Neil Rackham)
  • Gap Selling (Keenan)
  • The Sandler Rules (David Mattson)

The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.

← All Ask Better Questions, Sell More lessons
Next lesson: Ask About Past Experiences With Sellers →

More lessons in “Ask Better Questions, Sell More”

Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.

← Previous: Find Their Budget Without AwkwardnessNext: Ask About Past Experiences With Sellers →

  1. Stop Pitching, Start Asking
  2. The 70/30 Rule: Listen More
  3. Curiosity Is a Sales Skill
  4. Questions Show You Care
  5. Make Customers Talk About Their World
  6. Pitch Only After You Understand
  7. Questions Are Not Interrogations
  8. Situation Questions Without Boring People
  9. Problem Questions That Find the Pain
  10. Implication Questions That Show the Cost
  11. Need-Payoff Questions That Spark Desire
  12. Build a SPIN Question Bank
  13. Use SPIN on a Small Sale
  14. Common SPIN Mistakes
  15. Ask "Why Is That Important?"
  16. The Power of "Tell Me More"
  17. Find the Hidden Problem Behind the Problem
  18. Ask About the Cost of Doing Nothing
  19. Ask About Feelings, Not Just Facts
  20. Turn One Answer Into Three Questions
  21. The Pause That Gets the Truth
  22. Who Decides and Who Influences?
  23. How Do They Buy Today?
  24. What Does Success Look Like to Them?
  25. Find Their Budget Without Awkwardness
  26. Discover Their Deadline
  27. Ask About Past Experiences With Sellers
  28. Find Out What They Tried Before
  29. Research Before You Ask
  30. Write Your Top Five Questions
  31. Set the Agenda Together
  32. Take Notes Without Losing Eye Contact
  33. Summarise What You Heard
  34. End With a Clear Next Step
  35. Great Questions for Phone Calls
  36. Questions to Use in Email
  37. Questions for a Group Meeting
  38. Questions for Small Customers
  39. Questions for Big Customers
  40. Questions That Win Repeat Business
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