The 5W1H Method: How to define a problem correctly?

The 5W1H method is a tool that enables managers and salespeople to better understand situations and identify problems.

In sales techniques, this questioning method helps guide discussions and deliver products or services tailored to the customer’s needs. 👂

What is the 5W1H or 5W2H method?

The Quintilian’s Hexameter, is also known as the 5W1H method, standing for « Who, What, Where, When, Why, How? ». But it also exists as the 5W2H method, which adds a second “H” for “How much?”. 🤓

• W – Who: stakeholders, actors, managers.
• W – What: object, action, phase, activity, materials, equipment.
• W – Where: location, distance, stage.
• W – When: time, schedule, duration, frequency.
• W – Why: reason, motivation, etc.
• H – How: necessary means, manners, methods, procedures.
• H – How much: resources, costs, quantities.

Asking these questions helps to determine the circumstances of a situation, for example in customer relations, communication, project management or human resources.

Thanks to this method, the interviewer can analyze the problems encountered by the interlocutor and then present the best arguments. 🤌

Who?

• Identify all the people involved in the sales funnel and use of the product or service being sold. 👉 In particular, who is the contact person, who is the decision-maker.
• We need to establish who the different types of players involved are.👉 This question can « target » people, positions, departments, skills (employees, customers, suppliers, various service providers, etc.).

What?

• Determine the prospect’s situation. 👉 This question focuses on the prospect’s needs and the cause of the situation.
• It allows you to identify the problem clearly and precisely, to focus on the solution to be implemented, etc. 👉 The idea is to determine the nature of the problem as well as its consequences, to better define the various aspects of the project, etc.

Where?

• Identify the location or service affected by the issue. 👉 Know where the potential customer‘s problem is located.
• This question will provide a description of the location and precise positioning of the objects and players involved.

When?

• Find out more about the situation, since when this issue has arisen. 👉 Get to know the notions of planning, scheduling, duration or frequency of the business concerned.

Why?

• Get customers to share their motivation for buying a product or service. 👉 For example, the salesperson can then use this information as leverage to convince potential buyers.
• The final aspect of questioning is what the goal is. 👉 For each of the preceding questions to be constructive, it’s useful to analyze the purpose of the various elements identified.

How?

• Draw a picture of the cause or reason for the current situation. 👉 This question focuses on how needs arise.
• It’s about determining how problems arise, as well as how actors act and by what means.

How much?

• Assess the scale of the problem. 👉 Often included in the previous point, this question aims to quantify the resources – human, financial, technical, time, etc. – needed to tackle the issue.

Therefore, for each Who, What, Where, When, How, How much question, you need to ask yourself « why », i.e., for what purpose (For what?) 🏹 to analyze the problem in depth and solve it effectively.

Examples of 5W1H / 5W2H Questions

In this section, we’ll look at some practical 5W1H questions you can ask: 👇

Example of the question « Who? »

Who will use the product or service provided? Who makes the decision? Who is the contact person? Who will manage the project? Who are the competitors or suppliers? Who do I contact? Who are the collaborators? 🤔

Example of the question « What? »

What is the problem? What will you use this product with? What do you need to make your decision? What will your final choice be based on? How could my product/service be useful? 🪨

Example of the question « Where? »

Where will the product or service be used? Where will you distribute this product? Where do you plan to install our products in your store? Where do you find the information to analyze when you need to make a decision? 📍

Example of the question « When? »

When did the need or problem arise? When does it happen, how often? When should I make an offer? When will you make your decision? When does your contract expire? 📅

Example of the question « Why? »

Why is there this need? Why has this happened? Why choose this product and not others? Why did you choose this solution? 🔍

Example of the question « How? »

How did the customer get into this situation? How do you explain the problem? How did he find out about the services provided? How to deal with the problem? 🗣️

Example of the question « How much? »

How much time and money can you devote to this project? How many products would you like to order? How many stations would you like to equip? How soon do you want to start? 💲

Of course, this list of examples of 5W1H questions is not exhaustive. 🥵 It will therefore have to be adapted according to the field of activity, the services rendered and the desired objectives.

Why use the 5W1H method?

By asking a series of open-ended questions, the 5W1H method is used to synthesize the information needed to solve a problem. ⚡ This questioning is a very useful analysis tool for getting a good overview of your prospect‘s situation.

5W1H analysis can be used for improvement, problem-solving or troubleshooting purposes. 🛠️ Whenever a process isn’t working properly, you can adopt this questioning approach to find a solution.

This method is often used because of its flexibility and simplicity. 👌 It allows you to identify the cause of the problem (Ishikawa Diagram) in a very short time.

How do I apply the 5W1H method?

The quality of communication affects the quality of the information collected. 👄 To optimize the use of the 5W1H method, you need to follow an action plan:

Set up an Elevator Pitch

Before you start, you need to set up an « Elevator pitch ». It must anticipate the questions that will be asked and the various responses or objections that may be made. 💥 This scenario will enable the salesperson to react quickly and redirect his or her remarks towards solutions corresponding to the customer’s expectations. The pitch should be written together with the sales pitch to link the customer’s needs to the benefits of the product or service being marketed.

Ask the 5W1H Questions

During the discussion with the prospect, the salesperson will present open-ended questions based on the 5W1H method (Who, What, Where, When, How, Why). This approach will enable the salesperson to discover the prospect’s expectations and needs. 👂

Do Active Listening

During the discussion, the sales assistant can reformulate the answers. In addition to reassuring the customer that he or she understands the problem, reformulation can also be used to verify or clarify certain points. 🪞 Salespeople can also ask closed questions to guide customers through the decision-making process.

Use a CRM tool

For greater efficiency, the information gathered can be integrated into a CRM tool that tracks exchanges and provides analyzable statistical data. 🤓 CRM tools help you structure your customer data and execute a customer discovery plan. The 5W1H method then becomes an essential part of the company’s sales strategy and marketing activities.

To benefit from the full power of the 5W1H method, you need to ask the right questions, to the right people, at the right time. 🤔

What tool can I use to ask the 5W1H Questions?

With Waalaxy CRM, you can create targeted prospecting campaigns through automated message sequences. 🤖

You can then send your 5W1H Questions via e-mail or LinkedIn, and you can even manage responses from our integrated Inbox!

When to use the 5W1H method?

The 5W1H method (Who? What? Where? When? How? Why?) is used for a detailed, structured analysis of situations, problems or projects. 🧐 It is particularly effective in project management, problem-solving and process analysis, as it helps to clarify all aspects of a situation by asking specific questions.

This tool can be used in brainstorming meetings, audits, incident reports and during strategic planning, ensuring that all relevant aspects are examined for complete understanding and sound decision-making.

1. To Solve a Problem

The 5W1H method is an excellent problem-solving tool. ✅Here are some questions you can ask in this case:

• Who: who are the stakeholders involved?
• What: what is the problem?
• Where: where is the problem located, in what context?
• When: the temporality of the problem (when/frequently?)
• How: what are the effects of the problem?
• Why: what causes the problem?

2. To Define your Project

5W1H questions can be useful when starting a project. 🏃 In fact, it can be used to define certain important aspects :

• Who: who is the target, the customer, the stakeholder group?
• What: what is the project in concrete terms?
• Where: where will the project take place?
• When: what is the start date?
• How much: what budget is available? How long will the project last?
• Why: why is this project being implemented, what is the objective?

3. To Implement a Marketing Strategy

The 5W1H method is often used to define the marketing strategy 🌟 as it helps determine the action plan to be carried out:

• Who: who is the target audience? Who is the team member responsible for monitoring the project’s progress?
• What: what tool or service will you use to communicate?
• Where: where will you find the information you need?
• When: how often will you communicate?
• How: what media will you use (social networks, website, newsletter, etc.)?
• Why: what is the goal, what are the benefits of such a strategy?

4. Preparing and Leading a Meeting

The 5W1H method is ideal for preparing an effective and productive meeting. 🥸 Whether it’s a team meeting or a more general meeting, your meeting needs to be structured. Otherwise, you risk wasting time.

This type of questioning will enable you to better target expectations, the audience, and the means deployed for this meeting. It will also be very useful for writing meeting minutes:

• Who: who are the participants?
• What: what is the purpose of the meeting?
• Where: where will the renovation take place?
• When: when is the meeting scheduled? On what date?
• How: what means will be used to address each topic (meeting request, support, etc.)?
• Why: what results can we expect at the end of the meeting?

Conclusion : 5W1H and 5W2H Method

In conclusion, this type of questioning not only enables us to better understand customer expectations and preferences, but also to adapt offers in a more targeted way, thus increasing the chances of commercial success. 👏

Who? Who? Where? When? How? Why? These questions can be applied to a wide range of situations and can help you build customer loyalty or find new ones 😉

Article FAQ

What questions should I ask a potential customer?

It’s important to ask customers the right questions to sell. 🧨 These questions fall into several categories, such as open-ended and closed questions, which help determine the customer’s expectations and confirm essential information for moving forward in the negotiation.

Here are a few essential types of questions to ask yourself: 👇

1. Questions to identify needs: ask customers what they’re missing to achieve their goals, or what they like about their current supplier.
2. Satisfaction question: ask about satisfaction with current products or services and whether they would recommend these products to others.
3. Customer relationship questions: find out how the product is used in the customer’s business, and what improvements might be beneficial.
4. Closing questions: check whether the cooperation can be continued or extended, and whether the customer is prepared to renew or extend the contract immediately.

Specific questions include elements such as the customer’s short- and long-term objectives, 🎯 aspects of the current service that could be improved, and identifying criteria for future collaboration.

How do I create a prospect database?

With Waalaxy you can develop your prospecting database from scratch, 👽 starting by defining your target persona to ensure your marketing efforts resonate and convert effectively.

You’re advised to collect initial data from your existing network, including details such as names, contact details and previous interactions, so you can personalize communications. 🤗

Then you can send follow-up messages using the 5W1H method to find out more about the situation and expectations of your potential customers! 🧲