9 inspirational and rational questions you need to ask your client
Asking the right questions is harder then providing the right answers. In this article we take a look at some of the most inspirational questions you can ask about a brand.
— Rational questions
1. What do you do and how?
Seems like an easy question right? Well, actually you’ll find that a lot of clients have multiple answers for this questions. It’s important to nail down the what and the how, because if you can’t even agree on that, how can you sell why you do certain things?
2. How do you work?
What are the ins and outs of your process? What is your workflow? How does your production look like? And please, if you have the oportunity, visit the company, take in the impressions.
3. What is your company culture like?
What does your team value? (Asking them yourselves is even better). How is the company culture like? What is the most common ground? What are the typical jokes? Who are key figures?
4. What is the company history?
Learning about the brands story is hugely important, it provides you with a contextual background and great oportunities for telling the story. In the case of a startup, ask about the founders story? How did you arrive here? What where the main drivers?
5. What are your ambitions?
Where do you see the brand in 5 years? What is the dream scenario? How do you plan on getting there? How do you want your brand to be perceived?
— Inspirational questions
6. If your brand were a famous person or character, who would it be?
Often times visualising the brand as a well know person can help you ascertain certain personality traits. It’s an easier way to define the brands personality.
7. Describe your ideal reception.
If you could create the perfect reception, what would it look like? How would the people be dressed? How would the interior look like? This helps visualise the brand in a physical way.
8. Imagine you are not in the room, what would you like people to say about you?
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
— Jeff Bezos
Think about your reputation? What do you want people to say about you? If they would gossip, what would it be? Rather than believing in a world where this doesn’t happen, try shaping your reputation yourself.
9. What problem are you trying to solve?
What real problem are you trying to solve? How is the brand fixing that problem?
Of course, there are many more questions to ask. Try to uncover as much information as possible and here are a couple of more tips when asking questions:
- Ask why.
- Ask why again.
- Leave room for silence.
- Ask open questions (questions that can’t be answered with a yes or a no).
This article is written as part of a collaboration between HolaBrief and Let’s talk branding.
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