Q #23: Which are the best questions to ask when meeting with a prospective client for the first time?
In this series, Bob Morris poses a key question and then responds to it with material from one or more of the business books he has reviewed for Amazon and Borders.
Andrew Sobel is the author of All for One: 10 Strategies for Building Trusted Client Relationships. In it, he offers excellent advice. For example, which are the best questions to ask when meeting with a prospective client for the first time?
1. What is the most valuable way we can spend this time together?
2. What are you most curious to know about me [or my firm]?
3. What is most important for me to know about your company?
4. How is your company reacting to [a recent and major development in its industry, competitive marketplace, etc.]?
5. Which of your competitors do you admire most? Why?
6. What do your competitors most admire about your company? Why?
7. What is the single greatest opportunity does your have in the next 6-12 months?
8. What are the greatest challenges your customers now face?
9. What specifically is your company doing to help them respond to them?
10. If I [or my firm] were to have the privilege of working with you, on what would you want me [us] to concentrate immediately?
Here is a link to Sobel’s Web site: http://www.andrewsobel.com/
Comments, questions, requests, or suggestions? Please share them. They will be most welcome and I thank you for them. Best regards, Bob
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These questions are great. They cover the basics that you would want to in an initial meeting, and help the prospect get some clarity on some issues that they may not even be aware of. This way, you can offer value from your meeting, which will leave a good impression of your business with the prospect.
I have taken some of the ideas in this list and adapted them for our use. So far, so good.
Comment by Matt Tibble | Monday, May 11, 2009
Thank you, Matt, for the comments.
Obviously, questions such as these are generic but my hope is that at least a few will help to stimulate/generate other, more appropriate questions in advance of a meeting. Years ago, I realized that each meeting with a client ir prospective client shares much in common with a job interview. For example, during both, the quality of the questions we ask is often more important than is the quality of our answers, although the quality of both is important. Aso, up to a point, it’s OK to say “I don’t know” if we don’t. With lients, I’ll respond, “I don’t know…but I’ll find out and get back to you immediately” and then I do.
Best wishes and warmest regards, Bob
Comment by interllect | Tuesday, May 12, 2009
And, here is a question to add:
“What should I ask you, that I haven’t yet asked you?”
Comment by Randy Mayeux | Saturday, October 29, 2011