“The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions.”
I love this saying because it reminds me of the importance of being a listener, not a talker – a giver, not a taker. It also touches on the importance of asking the right questions to reach the best outcomes – aka not all questions are created equal.
Here are 11 killer questions to set your marketing up for success.
- Who is your target audience?
You can’t be all things to all people. Don’t be afraid to pick a niche customer type and appeal to them in all of your marketing. It’s counter intuitive, but I promise you it works! Put another way, you attract what you put out, so if you want high-end clientele, everything you do has to reflect this; your networking has to reflect this target; all your promotional merchandise must match your market and so on. - What are you strong at?
Be clear on what it is you do really well. Identifying this means you can amplify these strengths through your marketing. - What are you weak at?
We’ve all got our natural talents but also things we’re not great at. For some, that’s paperwork or attention to detail. For others, it’s staying in touch with their customers over the long term. It’s time to be honest about this, because there are ways to overcome them. - What do you love doing?
When you’re doing what you love, it’s easy, and your clients can feel it. Being self-aware around this is important to your success. - What don’t you like doing?
Like your weaknesses, are there are things that are a chore in your job and that you probably procrastinate over for days? I recently had a client tell me that she loved social media as much as she loved cleaning the shower – and so of course, it always got deprioritised. Since she outsourced it, it gets done! - What do your current customers say about you?
Are you collecting customer testimonials and/or customer satisfaction scores? The Harvard Business School Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology is a predictor of business growth, derived from a customer’s propensity to recommend you. - What’s working, and what’s not working, today?
What sales and marketing techniques are you trying today, and of these, what’s converting the most interest? Conversely, what’s not getting enquiry? In both instances, do you know why? - What’s worked in the past?
You may have tried an activity in the past that’s worked really well, but for some reason stopped doing it. Wind back your memory and think what past activities have served you well. Some of the best business I work with have fallen into this trap, chasing the latest shiny thing instead of doing the basics well. - What assets do you have in the business today?
An asset might be a customer list, referral partners, community groups, sponsorships, event associations, your staff, your online fans. Think broad and creatively! - How big and clean is your database?
Big isn’t always better, and in the case of databases, it’s how complete and up-to-date your contact records are that trumps the number of clients. I had one client who claimed a database of over 50,000, which after cleansing, reduced to just 6,000 usable contacts! - What is your customer journey?
Step out how you find, service and stay in touch with your clients. This can identify points of difference (what you offer that others don’t) and potential missed opportunities: steps that you don’t currently cater for that could improve the overall customer experience.
If you’re stuck on any of these questions, would like help applying them to your specific business, product or industry segment, or just need inspiration to take the next step, call or email us today.
