Two Tip Tuesday
...helping you build a better business!

Questions Are The Answers...to boosting your revenue!

Have you ever felt that you have wasted time, energy and money sending out packets of marketing materials or preparing an extensive bid proposal for a potential client who wasn’t committed to committing?

Asking enough of the right questions---and listening to the answers are essential to building and growing a successful business. The questions you ask help you understand the caller’s particular situation, their reason for calling you and most importantly---their level of commitment.

By NOT asking appropriate questions, you could be responding to what you guess or assume the caller wants---which may or may not be correct. Quality questioning goes well beyond the basic, perfunctory inquiries---it gets specific and it shows that you have the ability to understand the caller’s real needs.

It is crucial that you qualify potential clients UPFRONT, in order to save both time and a lot of frustration. Spend your valuable time concentrating on working with CHOICE CLIENTS---those who:

need your services
understand the value of your services
have the ability to spread the word about your services AND
can afford your services.

Tip #1: Qualifying Questions

During the initial phone conversation with a prospective client and before meeting them in person, do your due diligence by identifying the:

Need---what is this person hoping to accomplish by hiring you?
Reason---why do they want their room (or home) redesigned, staged or organized?
Level of commitment---have they had previous encounters or experiences with redesigners, decorators, stagers or organizers? If so, ask them to elaborate.
Decision maker---will the decision to hire you be made by this individual or will someone else’s opinion count too?
Ability and willingness to pay---address your fee structure and payment policy and pay attention to their reaction. Did they calmly and quickly agree? Did they go silent or challenge your information?

Tip #2: Quality Questions

If you feel that the caller may indeed be a potential client, delve a bit deeper and ask the following questions:

What do you feel needs the most attention or what isn’t working well for you in your home?
What is your timeframe for this project?
What is your budget? (Be prepared to give examples of normal ‘per room’ or ‘per project’ fees)
Can you tell me more about ____________?
Can you be more specific?
Can you give me an example of the room you envision---style, colors or overall look?
Are you comfortable explaining my services and fees to your spouse?
Is there anything else you need from me?

Asking more and better questions---uncovering and defining client needs are not only smart business practices, they set you apart as a knowledgeable and caring expert in your field.

Bonus Tip!

Always begin a conversation with the question: “How did you hear about me?” This is invaluable information for you---especially when determining how and where to spend your marketing dollars. Plus! If they heard about you from another client or someone else in your sphere of influence, you will want to send a ‘thank you for the referral’ card.

Staging a living room