The first time you meet with a prospect, you have a unique opportunity to create a meaningful connection. Sometimes just asking the right questions is all it takes to communicate expertise, professionalism, sincerity, and intention.
Brands that connect with consumers ask these five thought-provoking questions. These questions allow you to learn critical information and provide the perfect opportunity to inject your personal brand and position to help you stand out among other businesses.
The objective of this first point of contact is to ensure that your brand message is clearly communicated in an unforgettable way so you become the number one choice.
1. Do you feel there are any specific challenges to accomplishing your goal?
Your prospect may just be browsing out of interest or have been looking for a while to find the right product or service. This question gives them the opportunity to share any of their real or perceived challenges.
Is there a reason why they haven’t made a decision? Do they have specific non-negotiables? Are there things they’re confused about? It’s essential to understand the situation from their vantage point to proceed with a strong relationship.
Brand Injection Opportunity: “Here’s how I can help you.”
If your prospect’s specific challenges are related to your brand, you’ve hit the jackpot! If they don’t, you should acknowledge their specific challenge and your expertise or experience concerning that challenge. Take this opportunity to state what you’re most known for in your industry and make a direct correlation between your brand and your prospect’s needs.
2. Is there a specific reason you’re looking to change [insert brands, products, services]?
If the prospect had interactions with other businesses before you, this question allows you to find out what went wrong without making any negative statements about another business.
The way your prospect answers this question will tell you volumes. They will usually open up and share the real reason(s) they are seeking change. It might be the other business’s lack of knowledge, poor follow-up, or a personality conflict.
Once you have this information, you’ll learn what not to do and whether your prospect’s expectations are reasonable. Take lots of notes and ask follow-up questions focused on solving the problem (not extending a venting session). Knowing what has gone wrong in the past is critical to a smooth relationship in the future.
Brand Injection Opportunity: “Here’s how I work.”
Your note-taking is a sufficient response for your prospect to know they are being heard. Focus entirely on your system and way of doing business. Make sure to touch on the things your prospect shared that indicate the more sensitive points.
Brand consistency is so important, so you should have this explanation of ‘how you work’ at your fingertips. You want your clients to remember what sets you apart and be able to share it with others effortlessly. Being organized enough to have an exclusive ‘system’ in place demonstrates a high level of professionalism.
3. What’s the most efficient way to communicate with you?
This question is one of the most important to ask early in the process. How many times have you contacted a prospect without a response? That’s because you’re probably not communicating with them the way they want to be contacted.
Some people prefer updates via email while others prefer a text message. Here are two good follow-up questions:
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- Ask about the communication type (text, email, phone call, visit), the information your prospect most wants from you, and how often they’d like you to communicate with them.
- Ask about their best and worst days and times for communication.
Communicate with them according to their preference (as long as it’s reasonable) and watch your interaction rate increase substantially.
To be safe, we highly recommend a follow-up email for every client (along with their communication of preference, if different). By taking this step, the communication is documented for later recall.
Brand Injection Opportunity: “My promise to you is…”
Be clear about what you promise them in terms of communication. If you promise to contact them with an update weekly, tell them which day and time you’ll be making contact. Then, add it to your calendar and execute it faithfully. Lack of communication and unclear expectations are usually the number one complaint about most business interactions.
Here’s a tried and true piece of advice: DWYSYWD (Do What You Say You Will Do). Stand behind your promise and you’ll stand out!
4. What would need to happen for you to consider working with me a huge success?
This is one of our favorites. The answer to this question tells you exactly what your prospects hope to achieve and their expectations of your relationship. It lets them get to the brass tacks of exactly what they want from you. It will also allow you to circle back at the end and ask whether you have met these goals, which is a prime opportunity to ask for a referral!
Brand Injection Opportunity: “My clients would tell you…”
Share the great things your clients have expressed about working with you. Take this opportunity to send your prospects to your website so they can read/hear/view testimonials and be further exposed to your brand. Talk about your high referral rate and connect that directly to your unique selling proposition.
5. Is there anything else I should know?
This gives your prospect one more chance to cover all the bases. Don’t be surprised if this question extends the conversation or even brings up more personal topics.
You may have a moment or two of silence as they rack their brain for things to share with you. And when they do, take special note because these are things they didn’t want to leave out of the conversation!
Brand Injection Opportunity: “The number one thing you should remember about me is…”
This is your final opportunity to hammer away at the one thing that makes you different. If your prospect can only remember one thing about you, what should that be? Think about your brand identifier (personal tagline) if you have one). That should be a clear identifier of what sets you apart.
The Takeaway
Brands that connect with consumers are usually rewarded with loyal customers willing to stick with them in the long run. These brands take time to learn about their prospects to better meet their needs, which helps the business better serve their customers and makes the customers feel like they’re being taken care of. By asking the right questions, you can also make that brand connection with your prospects and convert them into returning customers.
Discuss your brand with us today to connect your business with an increasing number of loyal customers.
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BrandFace® is a personal branding firm for entrepreneurs and experts who want to STAND OUT from their competition and attract their ideal customers so they can become recognized and sought after authorities in their space. Tonya Eberhart & Michael Carr are the partners behind BrandFace. Their mantra is, “People don’t do business with a logo. They do business with a person.”