The Importance of Interrogative Self-Talk

Often times, when people think of self-talk and what it is, they think of affirmative self-talk which consist of comments such as “I can do this!”  While that can be effective, I believe there is a more effective approach called interrogative self-talk which asking yourself questions instead of making general statements.

Interrogative self-talk is a strategy where instead of just hyping yourself with statement such as “I will close this deal”, you ask yourself questions like:

• “How can I close this dela”
• “What do I need to connect with this prospect?”
• “How can I adjust my approach if the prospect hesitates?

Interrogative self-talk forces you to engage with the problem and invest in solving instead of just telling yourself that you’re going to have success.

The key to interrogative self-talk is asking yourself the right questions.  And it all starts before you even talk to the prospect.  Some of the most important questions come before the call including questions like:

• “What steps do I need to take to make this call successful?”
• “How can I listen effectively and make them the most important part of this call?”
• “What challenges might come up, and how will I handle them?”

These questions force you to think strategically instead of positively and optimistically.

Interrogative self-talk isn’t just a technique, it’s also biblical.  Jesus often used questions to challenge and guide people rather than just giving them direct answers because questions force us to think deeply and examine our beliefs.  Proverbs 20:5 says “the purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”  In sales, asking yourself the right questions draws out your best abilities and insights to serve customers better.