Elicitation
Found this while discussing on another forum:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investi...ion-techniques
I found it really cool, it just sounds like a terrific set of tools for qualification
because in sales there's this assumption that everyone that gets in is a social animal and it shows in most sales training. E.g. the classic funnel where you ask how/why/where/etc general open ended Qs at the beginning and go for specific questions at the end. Not that it's a bad idea, but applied verbatim/too literally it can annoy people.
Even in sales training where the focus is on qualification like SPIN, the questions tend to be somewhat obvious. In my experience, most sales trainers leave the social grease to the salesman.
Thoughts? Further sources? How can I learn more about this subject and/or what is the closest sales equivalent? Did you guys ever use any of these technique or something similar during a sales (I realized I already used a few but more as an opportunist then as a result of any thought-out plan)?
| Elicitation is a technique used to discreetly gather information. It is a conversation with a specific purpose: collect information that is not readily available and do so without raising suspicion that specific facts are being sought. It is usually non-threatening, easy to disguise, deniable, and effective. The conversation can be in person, over the phone, or in writing. |
I found it really cool, it just sounds like a terrific set of tools for qualification
because in sales there's this assumption that everyone that gets in is a social animal and it shows in most sales training. E.g. the classic funnel where you ask how/why/where/etc general open ended Qs at the beginning and go for specific questions at the end. Not that it's a bad idea, but applied verbatim/too literally it can annoy people.
Even in sales training where the focus is on qualification like SPIN, the questions tend to be somewhat obvious. In my experience, most sales trainers leave the social grease to the salesman.
| Originally Posted by THE FBI A trained elicitor understands certain human or cultural predispositions and uses techniques to exploit those. Natural tendencies an elicitor may try to exploit include:
Techniques There are many elicitation techniques, and multiple techniques may be used in an elicitation attempt. The following are descriptions of some of those techniques.Assumed Knowledge: Pretend to have knowledge or associations in common with a person. “According to the computer network guys I used to work with…” Bracketing: Provide a high and low estimate in order to entice a more specific number. “I assume rates will have to go up soon. I’d guess between five and 15 dollars.” Response: “Probably around seven dollars.” Can you top this? Tell an extreme story in hopes the person will want to top it. “I heard Company M is developing an amazing new product that is capable of …” Confidential Bait: Pretend to divulge confidential information in hopes of receiving confidential information in return. “Just between you and me…” “Off the record…” Criticism: Criticize an individual or organization in which the person has an interest in hopes the person will disclose information during a defense. “How did your company get that contract? Everybody knows Company B has better engineers for that type of work.” Deliberate False Statements / Denial of the Obvious: Say something wrong in the hopes that the person will correct your statement with true information. “Everybody knows that process won’t work—it’s just a DARPA dream project that will never get off the ground.” Feigned Ignorance: Pretend to be ignorant of a topic in order to exploit the person’s tendency to educate. “I’m new to this field and could use all the help I can get.” “How does this thing work?” Flattery: Use praise to coax a person into providing information. “I bet you were the key person in designing this new product.” Good Listener: Exploit the instinct to complain or brag, by listening patiently and validating the person’s feelings (whether positive or negative). If a person feels they have someone to confide in, he/she may share more information. The Leading Question: Ask a question to which the answer is “yes” or “no,” but which contains at least one presumption. “Did you work with integrated systems testing before you left that company?” (As opposed to: “What were your responsibilities at your prior job?”) Macro to Micro: Start a conversation on the macro level, and then gradually guide the person toward the topic of actual interest. Start talking about the economy, then government spending, then potential defense budget cuts, then “what will happen to your X program if there are budget cuts?” A good elicitor will then reverse the process taking the conversation back to macro topics. Mutual Interest: Suggest you are similar to a person based on shared interests, hobbies, or experiences, as a way to obtain information or build a rapport before soliciting information. “Your brother served in the Iraq war? So did mine. Which unit was your brother with?” Oblique Reference: Discuss one topic that may provide insight into a different topic. A question about the catering of a work party may actually be an attempt to understand the type of access outside vendors have to the facility. Opposition/Feigned Incredulity: Indicate disbelief or opposition in order to prompt a person to offer information in defense of their position. “There’s no way you could design and produce this that fast!” “That’s good in theory, but…” Provocative Statement: Entice the person to direct a question toward you, in order to set up the rest of the conversation. “I could kick myself for not taking that job offer.” Response: “Why didn’t you?” Since the other person is asking the question, it makes your part in the subsequent conversation more innocuous. Questionnaires and Surveys: State a benign purpose for the survey. Surround a few questions you want answered with other logical questions. Or use a survey merely to get people to agree to talk with you. Quote Reported Facts: Reference real or false information so the person believes that bit of information is in the public domain. “Will you comment on reports that your company is laying off employees?” “Did you read how analysts predict…” Ruse Interviews: Someone pretending to be a headhunter calls and asks about your experience, qualifications, and recent projects. Target the Outsider: Ask about an organization that the person does not belong to. Often friends, family, vendors, subsidiaries, or competitors know information but may not be sensitized about what not to share. Volunteering Information / Quid Pro Quo: Give information in hopes that the person will reciprocate. “Our company’s infrared sensors are only accurate 80% of the time at that distance. Are yours any better?” Word Repetition: Repeat core words or concepts to encourage a person to expand on what he/she already said. “3,000 meter range, huh? Interesting.” |
Thoughts? Further sources? How can I learn more about this subject and/or what is the closest sales equivalent? Did you guys ever use any of these technique or something similar during a sales (I realized I already used a few but more as an opportunist then as a result of any thought-out plan)?
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