Have you been looking for a way to make your sales pitches more powerful? You might want to consider throwing in some thought-​provoking questions that put you directly in the mindset of the prospect. This positions you to connect on a stronger level so that you can confidently close the deal. Inc. gathered questions from seven successful entrepreneurs and included them in a recent article. Written by the Young Entrepreneur Council, the article is a great resource for boosting the chances of making a winning pitch.

“What would you like to achieve?”

This question, from Vik Patel, CEO of Future Hosting, sheds light on the ultimate goal of the prospects, as well as positions you as the pathway to achieving that goal. After getting a response, you can purposefully tailor the rest of your pitch to highlight features that align with the desired achievement. 

If you were in my shoes, what would you propose?

Play role-​reversal with the prospect. As the article points out, “sometimes, simply turning the tables and asking a [prospect] how they would try to sell to themselves can give you incredible insight into what they truly want.” This question from Jared Ross Weitz, CEO of United Capital Source Inc. allows the prospect to switch his or her mindset and get to the root of what you must do to win the business. 

How could you see us working together? 

Establish the vision of you and the prospect working as part of a team. “It's an open-​ended question that lets them start to sell themselves," says Dan Golden, co-​founder and president of BFO (Be Found Online). “"If they can't answer that question, either there's a lot more work to be done, or it may not be a good fit for either business." The response can be enlightening for both of you. 

These are just three of the questions featured by Inc., and likely, any of the seven will add an entirely new dimension to your pitches. They’ll highlight not only how the prospect feels about you and your business, but also allow him or her to see things from a different perspective.