We know how important it is for our doer-sellers to truly understand our clients. When people understand those they serve, they solve problems more creatively, provide better service and build stronger relationships.
To help our doer-sellers guide relationship-developing conversations, we put together a list of questions they should be able to answer about their clients, especially those with whom they work closely.
The goal of this exercise is to better understand areas where we should have more in-depth conversations with our clients and to identify areas for improvement or education (for example, learning more about a client’s industry.)
Many variations of this list are available with a quick Google search, but here are some of the key questions we have passed along to our doer-sellers:
Your Client’s BUSINESS
- What does the organization do?
- What is the most recent seminar/conference/educational event they attended?
- What trade associations are they involved in?
- What publications do they read? (What external sources do they rely on for information to help them run their business?)
- What community organizations/efforts/causes are they involved with?
- What are their key goals or objectives for the current year?
- What are their key goals or objectives for next 5 years?
- Did they grow last year? How much? Is this more or less than industry/market average?
- Who are their major competitors?
- Where do they get information/guidance from?
- What strategy does the client have for developing their business over the next 3 years?
- What other services do they buy/outsource?
- Which other advisors/vendors do they currently use and what do they think about them?
Your Client’s MARKET/INDUSTRY
- What are the key competitive pressures in the clients’ industry? (Regulatory changes, new online competitors, pricing pressures, etc.)
- What is going on in their geographic market(s)?
Your Client Contact PERSONALLY
At the end of the day, our business is still largely built on relationships between people, not companies.
- What are their personal goals within the organization?
- What activities or hobbies does your client enjoy?
- What are their passions/interests outside of work?
- Where/when was their most recent vacation?
POUNCE 