Finding the Facts

These questions may seem obvious, but it's surprising how often they are overlooked.

To scope out an account or manage a relationship, you need some fundamental pieces or information about the client -- their customers, partners, suppliers; their company structure; number of employees; and so on.

These questions may seem obvious, but it's surprising how often they are overlooked. These are usually closed questions that can be answered "yes" or "no" or with a fact. Their job is to elicit information, so they tend not to be all that imaginative (virtually everybody asks them), but can be surprisingly provocative (for example, " Who makes the decisions here?"). They are essential, but they won't do a whole lot to differentiate you from your competition.

ACTION POINT: Don't overlook finding out the basic information about your client.