Five Questions to Ask Every Client to Grow Profit

To grow profit in your business, you need to keep great relationships with clients. One way you can do this is to ask the right questions. If you remember to ask these questions to every client, you enlist them in your business growth.

1) How Did You Hear About Us?

Your business needs to ask every person who contacts you this question. You might word it differently by saying “me” instead of “us” or “my business” depending on your style. I try to ask this at the first contact. For example, we don’t do mobile device repair, but we get calls about that service often. I’ll ask those callers how they heard about us even if I can’t help them. For some reason, we get lots of TV repair calls as well! No matter what the reason for the contact, I want to know how they found us.

When we get busy, I forget to ask people this question. Ideally, you should ask potential clients when they first call or email. If you miss that initial opportunity, you can ask them at any point in the sales funnel. You can ask them during the service call or after. The answer to this question tells you not just how well your marketing efforts are working but also shows you which marketing efforts attract which type of clients. For example, clients who see me in the yellow pages tend to be older.

If time allows (and the client doesn’t mind) ask some follow-up questions. They’ll give you more data about your marketing efforts. If they say they found you through a search, ask them which search engine and what terms they used. If they saw an ad, ask them where they saw it. You’re helping the clients, so clients don’t mind helping you. The questions create a dialogue and rapport with them. People love talking about themselves, so let them. Track the results in your CRM and you’ll start seeing trends. You can’t grow profits if you don’t know where to spend your advertising dollars?

2) When Works Best For You?

I often assume clients want things done as soon as possible. After all, that’s what I want as a consumer. Over the years, this question helped keep my schedule and stress manageable. Sure, some clients will say right now. Other times, they aren’t in a rush. They may say this week because they’re busy or going out of town. Save the next available time slot for clients who request it. If a client doesn’t need a repair right now, they won’t see the benefit. Moreover, you might be giving them an unrealistic expectation of your schedule. If you can’t offer them a quick turnaround the next time they need help, you’ll disappoint them. You’re better off giving them what they want rather than assuming their needs. Happy clients grow your profits and return to your business.

3) Did That Fix the Problem?

This question should seem obvious. After all, we’re in the computer repair business. I covered the importance of this type of question when covering the 3 R’s that prevent callbacks. Even if you’ve tested, you should still ask every client this question. This tactic involves them in the repair process and ensures customer satisfaction. Allow them to test it and see that you fixed it as much as necessary. That could be onsite or at your shop. Until the customer sees the problem is fixed, it isn’t resolved from their perspective.

4) Is There Anything Else I Can Do For You Today?

Once you fix the problem, don’t close the door to more revenue. We’ve all been there: after closing out the client asks other questions. This problem is so common in the medical industry they have a term for it: the doorknob phenomenon. Sometimes the client forgets or is embarrassed to ask until the end. Never rush the client, let them talk about their needs. Don’t collect payment or stop the clock until you ask this question. Otherwise, profit is walking right out the door.

After they answer that question and the client is satisfied with service, now is the time to suggestive sell things they didn’t think of. They don’t know what they need until you tell them. We keep a short list of items to suggest to clients that might be of value to them. Some good ideas are backups, patch management or password utilities. If you try to sell to clients before you resolve the client’s needs, they’re more likely to feel pushed or pressured. You haven’t done what they asked you to do, so why are you suggesting other things?

You and your technicians will need to develop a style for approaching sales. I don’t like to suggest more than one product or service with a client. Otherwise, I feel like I’m pressuring them.

5a) What can I Do to Make This Right?

Client interactions don’t always go the way we want. Some clients are unreasonable and sometimes we make mistakes. Before you stress out about what the client wants as reparations, ask them. If you assume what the client wants, you might be wrong. You think they want a refund and all they want is an apology or acknowledgement. I learned this from working in the food service industry. If you give everyone a free meal after a complaint, you’re unnecessarily giving away too much food. That free food might not resolve the problem in the way the customer wants. They’d rather have a coupon for a free meal on their next visit or just a dessert. Your profit margin goes down the drain if you give away to much.

When you ask the client what they want, you’re following the Platinum Rule. That rule is “treat others as they want to be treated.” If you treat every client the same, you’re using a standard solution to a delicate situation. Once a client is dissatisfied, you need to listen to their needs first, then offer a solution. When you offer a solution before you ask, you’re just guessing.

Once you know what they want, I always suggest a giving a little extra to delight the customer. That gift shows them you’re going beyond their expectations. If they’re asking for a discount, offer them a bit more than they asked. You might give them an upgrade on their existing service plan. When in doubt, a small gift card to a local coffee shop or restaurant works wonders. I have a few coffee shops as clients and they let me buy those cards at a discount. They love the exposure and I love keeping my clients satisfied.

5b) Where Can I Find Other Great Clients Like You

If you haven’t read The Pumpkin Plan, I highly recommend that book. The focus on success is big pumpkins. Big pumpkins come from big pumpkin seeds, so you’ll want to plant those. In our business, when we find great clients, we want to find more of them. Since we can’t clone those clients, asking for referrals is the next best thing. Presenting it like a question to the client is seen as a compliment, so they’re more likely to oblige. Great clients grow your business profits better than lousy clients.

Whatever the client says, take careful notes. They might suggest groups or organizations they belong to. Sometimes they won’t have an answer, but you’ve planted the seed you do business by referrals and appreciate them.

Remembering these easy questions moves you beyond just solving customer problems by growing your business and profits.

Written by Dave Greenbaum