A few years ago, I was meeting with Steve Forbes in the Forbes building in his private library. The meeting was to discuss the presentation he was about to give to the National Speakers Association that I was president of. Rather, it was to get him to agree to give that presentation.

What struck me in that meeting was that for the first 20 minutes, Steve kept asking me questions about my opinion on various subjects. At that moment, I realized that he was doing what I noticed all people at the top of their game do. These people are not interested in what they know. They’re interested in what they don’t know.

So, what are four things you must know before you give your proposal to a customer?

Well, you must first find out what outcomes they’re after. Because they’re not buying your product for the sake of buying it; they’re looking to achieve specific results.

The second thing you need to know is their motivation for getting those outcomes, because their motivation drives their actions.

Third, you must find out the decision process, so that you can understand and plan for when to give the value proposition or your proposal.

Finally, the fourth is who is involved in the decision process.

You need all the information to these four questions. Find out what you don’t know in those areas, because it could impact your ability to close the deal.

What other powerful questions do you ask yourself before submitting a proposal? Please share in comments below.

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