Written by: Vickie Sullivan | May 17, 2022
Got a New Client? Make Sure You Ask These 2 Questions
We all have an onboarding or intake process for new clients. What a client tells you during those meetings sets the timeline for achieving the milestones the two of you set. To ensure you get the best information from a client—information that clearly illuminates their challenges and helps create a path to solutions—you must ask probing questions.
2 Types of Questions to Ask a New Client
Here are two types of questions to ask during initial meetings with clients that will set you up for a great start:
• Ask for comparisons: My favorite question to ask in this scenario: “What’s the difference between A and B?” For example, you can ask, “What’s the difference between your approach and your competitions? List the top three differences.” The specificity between the two points will help your client focus their answers, and the format will keep out tangents. I ask these questions when the client gives incomplete answers.
• Make specific requests: This option is best for clients who want to tell you “the whole story.” In this scenario, asking, “I need two paragraphs about your clients’ biggest pain points” is very different than saying, “Tell me everything you know about your buyers.” This forces your clients to decide the most important details and give you just those.
Listen: How to Explore with Clients Who Don’t Know the Answers
When a client gives you information that is incomplete (or not clear), you may be tempted to teach and educate them on why you need that information. Don’t do it. Instead, follow up with specific questions and requests. The more clarity you give, the more clarity you get back.
Now Read This:
- Choose Your Best Clients
- What to Do When a Client Expects More
- Outsmart Your Competition. Attract More Opportunities