High-value relationships: Questioning strategy for clients

Strategy What can happen Questions to use 1. Get the opinion from clients — identify strong ones. Can open the door to their decision-making process. The stronger the opinion, the easier it is to access. What do you think about X? What concerns you about X? How do you feel about X? 2. Find out […]

By Joanne Ferguson | April 29, 2004 | Last updated on April 29, 2004

1 min read

Strategy	What can happen	Questions to use
1. Get the opinion from clients — identify strong ones.	Can open the door to their decision-making process. The stronger the opinion, the easier it is to access.	What do you think about X? What concerns you about X? How do you feel about X?
2. Find out what the opinion represents to clients and ask repeatedly until you get to a deeper level of their concerns.	Understanding of their decision-making criteria, value structure upon which their decisions are based.	What is important to you about X? What is that about for you? What would that give you?
3. Understand the hierarchy of concerns and values.	Shows clients’ hierarchy of decision-making and helps them connect in a conscious way to their most important criteria.	What is important to you? Which is more important to you — A or B? While you say A, B and C are important, how would you rank them?
4. Make sure clients are clear on what is most important to them.	It helps them make their decisions congruently with their hierarchy of values.	If we were able to do A, B and C, how satisfied would you be? What would it do for you if you had just A and B?

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Advisor.ca would like to thank Advisor Pathways for providing this document. To learn more about Advisor Pathways’ coaching and consulting services for advisors and their firms, please visit www.advisorpathways.com.

Joanne Ferguson

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