Thoroughly understanding our clients, their wants and providing solutions is very imperative for an agency business, especially VersaTel Solutions. True understanding of our clients is the result of asking good questions — ones that go beyond the surface and make people reconsider an issue, view a problem through a new perspective, or even spark a completely new idea.
Questions between partners forms the basis of all business relationships (i.e. What can you do for me? What can I do for you?). However, an effective relationship continues this dialogue until fully understanding the client’s needs. Consultants need interview questions that ask a current or potential client for details on how both sides can best serve the relationship.
The right questions and resulting answers not only help us to provide better results for you, but the act of asking questions that prompt productive dialogues can improve our relationships. With a better understanding of the client’s business, his/her goals and challenges, needs, and values, we can find new ways to provide value to the client and connect with the larger team.
Every client is different: there are those who think they trust you enough to produce something better than what they could come up with… which translates to “there’s no use to me answering your questions.” There’s those who seem to have forgotten about the project as soon as they’ve hired you, and the opposite—those who are so involved that you can’t get started without them coming in with new ideas or more information.
To decide what’s appropriate, consider how responsive the client has been in your interactions so far. Are they better over the phone or via email? If you’re not sure, ask what they prefer. Either way, always send your questions to the client upfront, so that they know what they’re getting into and can take their time to consider their responses.
It’s not always easy to present a client with a huge list of questions when you’ve just onboarded them.
Remember, having the answers to these questions is just the beginning. It’s a good idea to double check that you’re on the right track by asking for feedback early on in the project, and at several milestones along the way.