What Distinguishes a Standout Seller…The Why or the How?

Being in strategic selling, often I see sales conversations and the buying process get wrapped up in solution details way too early. I’ve done it too — my mind running a million miles an hour, jumping into creating solutions before I know enough about the true problem or why it’s a priority today.
“To get up the value chain, ask why and not how.” I recently heard Alan Weiss share this on a National Speakers Association webinar and I thought it would be worth diving into more.
When we jump into solutioning too early (the “how”), we risk losing prospect or client buy-in. We miss the opportunity to understand the “why” behind the interest. Why it matters to this person and the business. We might miss the opportunity to more creatively solve the challenge.
But the “how” can’t be forgotten. It’s ultimately the path to solving the client’s problem. A client needs confidence