#1 The Power of Context Questioning

Over the next few newsletters, we will look at some of the useful skills that allow professionals to enhance their professional identity; to be respected as valued partners, as opposed to being treated as servants by their clients or colleagues.

These skills apply just as much within an organisation (e.g. to HR / Marketing functions) as they do to external relationships.

The fastest route to higher revenue is doing higher-value work.

Higher-value work does not require you to retrain, invest in a lot of technical skills, reinvent your entire offer or even your career. It does not require a massive change in personality or charisma. But it often does require a certain growth in confidence… and self-worth.

#1 Content vs. Context Questioning

The key distinction here is between content and context. So, for example:

• If you are a web-designer, the content is what you produce (and how); the context is the reason they want you to do anything at all.
• If you are a coach, the content might be your methodology or style; the context include the benefits they get (hopefully for many years afterwards).
• If you draft good legal agreements, the content of those agreements includes? the contract; the context is the risks the client runs without that contract.

High-value professionals prioritise asking context questions, not just content questions. In this way, they gather vital information that adds power and impact to their work. They build relationships with key people. They impress right from the start with the questions they ask: questions that distinguish them from others. They uncover essential information that influences every subsequent step.

Developing your own context questions

Here are some examples of context questions that work. I suggest you develop your own, tailored to your clients and situations:

• “What does the business need (most) ?”
• “Who decided this was a priority?”
• “Why is that important?”
• ”What happens if you do nothing?”
• “What has been tried already?”
• “How is your customer behaviour changing?”
• “What effects are hybrid working having on….?”

Advanced Consulting Skills, summary

For your reference, here is the full table of 15 advanced skills that add impact and value to all forms of professional work. In this edition, we covered #1. More to follow in subsequent newsletters.

Pre-sales

1. Context questioning vs. content questioning: gathering essential info about value before you propose anything.

2. Sharing insights, co-creating new insights with clients. Adding value in advance of any solution, establishing the relationship as partnership vs. servitude.

3. Reframing requirements vs. meeting requirements. Differentiating your approach on a value basis.

4. Compelling presentations and emails, building consensus and common ground, senior-level communication.

5. Facilitation skills e.g. opening up and wrapping up meetings, ensuring vital voices are heard

6. Influencing skills e.g. overcoming objections, impact at board level, getting decisions.

7. Discussing money & resources, articulating value and the risk of low-quality solutions.

8. Doing proposals with the client, not just for the client. Deepening engagement at every step.

?

During Delivery:

9. Exceeding expectations: the difference between “satisfactory” and “outstanding”.

10. Boosting / maintaining project momentum. Anticipating the low points in engagement and countering these.

11. Anticipating the next step of the journey during delivery, being ahead of your client.

12. Building rapport and empathy, the human side of all engagement.

13. Uncovering & communicating value e.g. success stories, insights and testimonials

14. Boosting client career-success, getting referrals, sharing insights from the marketplace, nurturing Ambassadors.

15. Juggling competing commitments… because we never “get it all done”!

Bringing skills to life

The fastest route to higher revenue is doing higher-value work. The simplicity of this is almost shocking.?Almost everything else takes longer and/or costs more. Typical examples of higher value work undertaken by recent clients include:

• Tailoring a technical / financial / legal offer with up-front insights, so that the value is clearer
• Doing essentially the same work, but with better customers, who not only pay more but put more effort into the programme
• Challenging clients and partners to contribute more to the end-result
• Bringing fresh perspectives to clients so that your judgement is more respected
• Being fluent in the risks of adopting an inadequate/cheaper approach

Do you want to add more impact and value in your work?? If so, you are welcome to schedule a call here .

? John Niland, June 2024. For enquiries about John as coach or speaker, on topics of self-worth and professional identity,

see www.selfworthacademy.com or email [email protected]