The Business of Meetings 223: The Strategic Advantage: How the Right Questions Lead to Better Customer Solutions with Eric Rozenberg
Did you know that asking the right questions can significantly enhance your understanding of your meeting attendees and clients and the challenges they face?
Today, Eric focuses on formulating insightful queries to uncover the specific difficulties your clients and attendees encounter in their business lives, enabling you to position yourself better as a strategic partner and offer them more assistance.
Stay tuned for Eric’s insights and expert advice.
Better Positioning Through Effective Questioning
Positioning yourself more effectively through questioning involves asking insightful, strategic questions beyond logistics alone. Inquiring about your clients' core challenges, goals, and desired outcomes will allow you to demonstrate a deeper level of engagement and expertise, shifting your role from a service provider to a strategic partner. So, instead of asking only basic questions about numbers and logistics, delve into the broader context of their industry challenges and objectives. That will help you tailor solutions aligned with their needs and will help establish you as someone invested in their success.
Real-Life Example: Insurance Company Incentive Trip
Eric shares an example from his book, Meeting at C-Level, to illustrate the power of asking the right questions. An insurance company wanted an incentive trip to New York. Instead of just taking the order, Eric spent five minutes asking about their challenges and learned they had three generations working together and a mix of long-term and new employees. So he created a program to address those challenges, including a unique music studio experience that brought all the different generations together, helping them to create lasting memories.
Surprise and Engagement in Zimbabwe
Another example Eric shares is about a media company with a military veteran commercial director. Eric organized a surprise helicopter ride over Victoria Falls instead of the expected drop-off in the bush, creating a truly memorable experience. He also took a group photo during a rafting trip and sent it to attendees a month later, reminding them of the experience and creating a lasting connection.
The Impact of Asking the Right Questions
Eric explains that asking the right questions will give you a deeper understanding of your clients, their challenges, and their goals. It positions you as a strategic partner and allows you to plan more efficiently and create meaningful experiences, leading to more fulfilling business relationships and greater client satisfaction.
Conclusion
By asking the right questions, you can set yourself apart from your competition, understand your clients better, and create more impactful and memorable experiences. That positions you as a strategic partner and helps you build stronger, more satisfying business relationships.
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Meeting at C-Level: An Executive's Guide for Driving Strategy and Helping the Rest of Us Figure Out What the Boss Wants by Eric Rozenberg