Rule of thumb: Anything involving the future is an over-optimistic lie.

Rule of thumb: Some problems don’t actually matter.

show you how they currently do it. Talk about which parts they love and hate. Ask which other tools and processes they tried before settling on this one. Are they actively searching for a replacement? If so, what’s the sticking point? If not, why not? Where are they losing money with their current tools? Is there a budget for better ones? Now, take

Rule of thumb: People stop lying when you ask them for money.

"Where does the money come from?" Good question. This isn't something you would necessarily ask a consumer (though you might), but in a B2B context it’s a must-ask. It leads to a conversation about whose budget the purchase will come from and who else within their company holds the power to torpedo the deal.

tried? If you don’t know, then you’ve got a compliment instead of real data.

It took me years to learn that there’s no such thing as a meeting which just “went well”. Every meeting either succeeds or fails.

You want the truth, not a gold star.

Rule of thumb: Anything involving the future is an over-optimistic lie.