The next time you meet with a new client, try going “off script” from your standard questionnaire to help you better understand his or her expectations and build a stronger relationship.
“You really need to have a willingness to engage the client in a very open, authentic dialogue without a lot of pre-meditated questions,” says Courtney Pullen, president of Pullen Consulting Inc. in Denver.
Here are a few ways to improve your discovery questions to deepen your client relationships:
> Prepare extra questions
To create a more engaging initial meeting with a client, have a few general questions ready in addition to your questionnaire. Pullen suggests having five to seven questions that lead to more specific conversations about the client’s financial goals.
Remember to not get carried away: the objective is to create an engaged conversation with the client. Give them time to answer and ask questions of their own.
> Ask open-ended questions
Be sure to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”
Questions such as: “Tell me more about …” will get clients to expand on points or topics — and are excellent starting points, Pullen says.
Build on standard questions with more open questions that will bring more depth to a conversation, suggests Rosemary Smyth, business coach and owner of Rosemary Smyth and Associates in Victoria.
For example, Smyth says, ask: “What are your financial goals.” Then, follow it up with a questions such as: “What is important about money to you?”
> Assess expectations
Remember to ask the client during the initial meeting about his or her expectations of the business relationship, Smyth says. Ask the client if they would like to receive resources from you such as letters, links to websites or books.
> Create referral opportunities
The open conversations these questions will lead to may present referral opportunities. Asking clients what you would need to accomplish in order for them to refer you to family members or friends sets the stage for you to put in place the steps to reach those goals, Smyth says. For example, the client might expect a certain return on investment or a specific number of years of service.
> Expect emotional responses
Asking open-ended questions about finances can be difficult for some clients and it’s important that you don’t shy a way from their emotions.
“You need to be comfortable with feelings,” says Pullen. “It’s OK if a client has some tears in your office.”
IE