A major success factor in business is to know what questions to ask.
At age 16, I was hired by a millionaire in my home town to interview residents to determine if they wanted a shopping mall (the nearest mall was 50 miles away). While I was already convinced that everyone would want a mall, he assured me that we needed to first conduct researchto find out. He provided me and the other interviewers a list of questions to ask the residents. The data showed the residents did not want the shopping mall. It was a priceless lesson and taught me never to assume anything.In my career working with affluent women and couples, I have learned that asking the right question is the secret to attracting more ideal clients. I also discovered that the key to success is knowing the best questions to ask based on the client or prospect’s response to the previous question. The best questions provide insight on how to best serve your ideal client. This insight changed my career and it can change yours too.The Research Process:
1. Discover the Answers
The first step is to determine what answers (information) you need to best serve your ideal prospect or client. It is very important to take the time to ask questions so you can determine everything you need to know. While this may seem laborious, it is time well spent. When done correctly, your questions will lead you to the best client acquisition strategies to attract and convert more ideal clients.2. Determine the Questions
The next step is to determine what questions will provide the answers you listed in the first step. Begin by identifying 3-5 questions for each answer you want. Take time to practice asking the questions so your process is seamless. A great place to begin is by asking prospects, clients, and referral partners if you can sit down with them for a few minutes to learn how to best serve your ideal client.It is important to also ask for introductions to other interviewees. The prospects, clients, and referral partners in your niche can provide a direct path to interviewees that ultimately lead to more clients and more sales.3. Create Your Questionnaire
If you don’t know what to ask, here is a sample of questions to ask your interviewees:What do you do in your free time?Where do you live?When do you feel most motivated?What television stations do you watch?What news stations do you watch?What keeps you up at night?What are your favorite TV shows?When do you forget about time?Related: Using the Power of Research You also want to find out how they make decisions and what motivates them to action, which is best found by observation rather than by asking.4. Evaluate Your Questions and Measure Your Results
As you are testing your questions, continue to measure your results. This allows you to determine which questions are the most effective. Once you create your questionnaire, the next step is to write out another question that provides the same answer. This step is critical and is often overlooked. It is important because the second question provides a confirmation of the information you need to determine the strategies that will best attract your ideal client.In my 20+ years of working with affluent women and couples, I found that women often provide what they perceive as the correct answer versus the reality of their situation. Asking questions a second time in a different way allows you to confirm that the answer provided is accurate and not just politically correct. Observing what your affluent clients actually do will help you determine the best course of action to attract more ideal clients to your business.Originally published on PMA360.com