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The Jab and Right Hook of Diagnostic Conversations
In this episode, Michelle breaks down why great consultants do not lead with selling. Using the analogy of a doctor, she explains that the best client conversations are not about pitching your services right away. They are about uncovering the real problem beneath the surface-level symptoms a prospect first describes.
Michelle introduces the rhythm of diagnostic conversations through two types of questions: jabs and the right hook.
She emphasizes that this process should feel natural, not forced, beginning with objective questions, then listening closely, and watching for clues that tell you when it is appropriate to go deeper.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why consultants should stop selling and start ________.
- How to uncover the deeper gap beneath surface-level symptoms
- What logic-based “jab” questions sound like
- What “right hook” questions are meant to uncover
- Why business decisions are THIS first, logical second
- How to transition naturally from factual questions into deeper territory
- Why rushing certain questions too early can backfire
- How using a prospect’s own words builds trust and connection
Key takeaway:
A strong diagnostic conversation is not a sales trick. It is a genuine conversation built on presence, smart questions, active listening, and the ability to help a prospect feel seen, understood, and clear about the true cost of their problem.
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Transcript
This is the Niche Consulting Growth Podcast for consultants who want to become
Speaker:the obvious choice and move beyond feast or famine.
Speaker:I'm Michelle Serra, and in these short episodes, we'll look at the positioning,
Speaker:trust, and demand-building work that helps consultants grow more steadily.
Speaker:Welcome.
Speaker:The jab and right hook of diagnostic conversations.
Speaker:That's what we're here to discuss today.
Speaker:I want you to think of this analogy.
Speaker:A doctor versus a consultant.
Speaker:So a doctor would never prescribe random medication without first asking questions
Speaker:and thoroughly examining you to find the root cause of your pain.
Speaker:At least we hope not, right?
Speaker:Like, I really hope not.
Speaker:But think about it.
Speaker:A doctor is going to diagnose first.
Speaker:So if you're a consultant and you're jumping into conversations with
Speaker:prospective clients, With the focus of selling right away, I want you to stop.
Speaker:I want you to stop selling and start diagnosing.
Speaker:Great consultants don't sell solutions.
Speaker:They diagnose problems.
Speaker:Let's dig into this concept a little bit more.
Speaker:I want you to begin to uncover the gap.
Speaker:So when you're having conversations with prospective clients,
Speaker:you're going to hear from them.
Speaker:They're going to They're going to be describing
Speaker:surface-level symptoms, all the things that are going on on the surface
Speaker:because of this deeper problem.
Speaker:But your job, your job is to uncover the deeper gap between where they
Speaker:are and where they want to be.
Speaker:In that gap, that's where that huge cost lives.
Speaker:I want you to uncover the full scope of a client's situation, and to do this,
Speaker:there's this very delicate, or, you know, Chris might say strategic,
Speaker:I'll say delicate, balance of logic-based and emotion-based questions.
Speaker:You start by setting the foundation with what we call Jabs.
Speaker:These are the logic-based questions.
Speaker:So a Jab is a direct factual question focused on measurable
Speaker:external aspects of the client's business.
Speaker:So let me just repeat part of that.
Speaker:It's a very direct factual question that's focused on measurable
Speaker:external aspects of the client's business.
Speaker:JABS are non-threatening.
Speaker:I know, not in real life, but here they're non-threatening.
Speaker:They help you gather data, demonstrate your expertise, and build credibility.
Speaker:So when you're asking questions like, what is your current customer retention rate?
Speaker:Or did you hit your revenue targets last year?
Speaker:You know, when you hear someone say in reference to someone else, hey,
Speaker:they asked all the right questions.
Speaker:That's what I want people to be saying about you.
Speaker:That's what I want your prospective clients to say about you.
Speaker:Then you're going to land that right hook.
Speaker:These are the emotion-based questions.
Speaker:The right hook digs into the personal, emotional, or aspirational
Speaker:side of the business problem.
Speaker:Hooks actually uncover the personal stakes and urgency behind the problem.
Speaker:Like, how does it feel to miss those retention targets?
Speaker:Or what's keeping up at night about this situation.
Speaker:I spent many, many years as a senior copywriter.
Speaker:And one of the things that we know is that we people, human beings,
Speaker:we buy based on how we feel in the moment.
Speaker:However, we need logic to back up our emotional decision.
Speaker:This is no different for your prospective client.
Speaker:They make a decision to invest in you.
Speaker:Based on how they feel, and they're looking for the logic
Speaker:piece to back that emotional decision.
Speaker:You are giving them both.
Speaker:The trick here is to master that rhythm.
Speaker:You know, this should be a natural conversation.
Speaker:It should flow just like a natural conversation.
Speaker:You start with objective details to make sure that the client is comfortable, and
Speaker:then you use active listening to look for clues to transition into
Speaker:emotional territory.
Speaker:Now I'm going to pause because I can hear all of those kind of objections coming my
Speaker:way, that this sounds like a whole lot of psychology.
Speaker:Well, hello, you're in selling.
Speaker:This is psychology.
Speaker:The important thing here though is to know you have had these conversations before.
Speaker:If you've ever had a conversation with a good friend, colleague, someone you care
Speaker:about, you have had these conversations.
Speaker:What I'm asking you to do is to simply show up, be fully present, set the selling
Speaker:aside for just a moment, and have a genuine conversation.
Speaker:Learn this flow, this rhythm of the logic-based and emotion-based questions.
Speaker:I do want to caution you though, do not rush in with the right hook.
Speaker:Do not rush in asking emotional questions right away because that feel intrusive.
Speaker:I mean, just imagine if you and I were to have a conversation for the first time
Speaker:and, you know, maybe we're on Google Meet or Zoom and we pop up on the screen and I
Speaker:say, "Hi Susan, it's really good to meet you.
Speaker:Hey, you know, I read on your form when you booked the call that you are
Speaker:really struggling to get clients right now.
Speaker:How does that feel?
Speaker:Is that, you know, I bet you're losing sleep.
Speaker:Is that keeping you up at night?" Wow.
Speaker:Yeah, that's just going to feel strange and that's really not okay.
Speaker:So please don't do that. Okay?
Speaker:Don't jump to the emotion-based questions.
Speaker:You're going to know when that clue pops up too, that it's okay to
Speaker:transition into the emotional territory.
Speaker:As I said, you've had these kinds of conversations before.
Speaker:You'll know, don't worry about it.
Speaker:You wanna make sure that you are letting the client get comfortable
Speaker:with the conversation first and that you're using a few jabs first.
Speaker:I know that sounds very counterintuitive, but if you are bringing in those
Speaker:logic-based questions, you're asking all the right questions,
Speaker:they're impressed, they're comfortable with you, uh, you're fully present.
Speaker:They can tell that, right?
Speaker:And then you bring in those emotional questions that really begin to identify
Speaker:the gap and where that true cost lives.
Speaker:That is a diagnostic conversation, and that will sell better than any
Speaker:sales technique you've probably learned.
Speaker:So let's wrap up by pointing out what to do after the right hook.
Speaker:So what do we do after we've brought in these emotional questions?
Speaker:Do we just leave them hanging after we've asked these rather personal questions?
Speaker:No, we want to be able to replay the client's challenges back to
Speaker:them using their own words.
Speaker:I want to come back to my reference of having been a senior
Speaker:copywriter for so very long.
Speaker:This is another aspect of the work that I did is being able to identify
Speaker:the language of, in my case, it would be the reader, but it's always
Speaker:the prospective client.
Speaker:We want to be able to identify their language and use their words and how they
Speaker:talk about the problem and the struggle because then it begins to feel like I'm
Speaker:in their head, or you're in their head.
Speaker:And it becomes this point at which they say,
Speaker:when you do this so well, clients feel so very deeply understood, like you
Speaker:get them, and they're like, hey, are you a fly on my wall?
Speaker:Because you must have heard me say this.
Speaker:It's like you're in my head.
Speaker:That's when you have hit the target.
Speaker:All right. I hope that helps.
Speaker:Till next time.
Speaker:If you've enjoyed this episode and want to know more about how we can help,
Speaker:schedule a conversation. The link is in the notes.
