These are the questions that sound the most like you’re trying to talk the prospect out of working with you.

The Why questions create objections for the prospect to explain why you are the right choice for them (or why you’re a bad choice if they’re a bad fit).

The goal in Why Me? questions is to get them to tell you why the cheaper options don’t work.

Bring up alternatives that might work better, or be cheaper. Have them tell you why they won’t work.

“Why not try to do it yourself?”

“Why not try to do it internally?”

“Why not hire a junior developer?”

Because I’ve tried doing it on my own and I can’t make it work.

Because I hired my cousin and he messed it up.

Because I’m sick of it being broken and I just want an expert to fix it.

Whatever their answer is, put it in the proposal.

You want to hire an expert because you tried doing it yourself and didn’t get far, and you tried hiring your cousin and he made it worse, so this time you want it done right.

The goal is to ask questions that get them to think through, “Why not go with someone cheaper?“

“I tired that, and…”

“I thought about that, and….”

Whatever their answer is, write it down.

By the end of the Why Conversation the three categories of questions (Why This, Why Now, Why Me) will give you what you need to create a great proposal.

Summaries of their answers to those questions using as much of their wording as possible go in the proposal.

Your “pitch” is repeating their own words back to them.

Josh