Three Words to Double Your Sales

In case it isn't obvious, I'm a nerd.

One of my nerdier pursuits is collecting Pokémon cards with my kids. And because shiny cardboard is not cheap nowadays, I've turned it into a tiny side hustle by selling some cards on Mercari to help fund the hobby.

Recently, I sold a card to a woman in Hawaii (It was a non-holo Skarmory #23 from Neo Revelation in case you were dying to know).

Like I always do, I sent a quick thank-you message, told her I'd get it packed up and shipped right away, and then asked one simple question:

"Is there anything else you're looking for?"

Turns out, there was.

She told me she was trying to track down a few cards for her son's birthday. Somebody had recently sold him a fake card, and she wanted to replace it with the real one. As luck would have it, I had that card. And a few others on her wishlist.

So I pulled them from my binder, listed them for her, and what started as an $8 sale lead to another much larger purchase, and very likely more business in the future from a happy customer.

That wouldn't have happened if I didn't ask the question.

The AWE Question

This reminded me of something from The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier. He talks about the AWE question: "And what else?"

It's a simple prompt with a powerful effect. It gives people permission to keep processing; to dig a little deeper and uncover the true issue behind the issue.

The AWE question isn't just useful in a coaching scenario. You can use this everywhere - even Pokémon card sales.

People may come to you looking for a solution to a surface-level problem. They never think to ask for anything more because they have no way of knowing you're equipped to help them with their deeper needs. Or they might not even be aware of or know how to articulate their deeper level needs.

They might be one follow-up question away from clarity.

The Sign-Off That Starts Things Up Again

Andy oversaw campus services at the University where I used to work. At the end of just about every business conversation - whether it was an official project update or a casual office pop-in - he would always ask "Is there anything else I can help you with?" It was like his call sign.

If nothing else, it was a simple and polite way to wrap up an interaction. But more importantly, it was an opportunity to learn about the different needs and issues across the organization - things that people might not ever bother to file an official work request for, but would be more than happy to chat about with a friendly co-worker.

I toke notes.

Don't stop at the first thing your customers say they want. Stay curious and invite them to share more about what they are looking for and what's on their mind.

Try this today: in your next client conversation or post-purchase message, ask:

"And what else?"

"Is there anything else you're looking for?"

"Anything else I can help with?"

Leave the door open.

You just might hold the cards they need to complete their collection.