Meaningful inquiries with business customers

During the development of this guide we will be addressing a topic of great relevance when it comes to helping our clients in their process of defining and clarifying their objectives, goals and aspirations. We refer to meaningful questions, a term coined to define a series of well-intentioned questions that seek to deepen the self-knowledge and perception of some of the most pressing issues of any entrepreneur.

Meaningful questions come to the coach as a truly useful tool, that more than just probing the client, they make them reflect on some of the issues they will have to overcome on their way to personal and professional improvement.

What are meaningful questions?

Meaningful questions are usually a series of questions with a certain degree of depth and complexity. The essence of meaningful questions is to make clients reflect on a series of elements that will allow them to sincerely delve into the formulation of answers necessary to coherently define each of the steps they have to carry out in their path towards entrepreneurship.

As an example of some significant questions that can be asked in the first meetings we have:

• How many hours a day would you be willing to dedicate to your venture during the first few months?

• What are the implications for you if your venture were to fail?

• What aspects do you think you need to improve in your preparation before starting your business?

• What skills do you think stand out in you that could be useful in your new business?

Differences between common questions and meaningful questions

Meaningful questions should not be confused with common questions. A meaningful question is asked to find answers that will be useful to the person who must answer it. Meaningful questions are intended to generate an analysis of aspects that we have not questioned.

When we ask common questions, we do so because we are interested in knowing something about our client; this does not happen in the same way with meaningful questions, since the question does not seek to discover the client, but rather for the client to discover him/herself. Meaningful questions are among the most commonly used in coaching, especially in the initial sessions.

How to formulate a meaningful question?

The quality and effectiveness of the meaningful questions we ask will depend a lot on our creativity and analysis when determining which are the necessary points on which we should focus the client's attention. Many entrepreneurs start a new business on a foundation that is not very sustainable over time.

A clear example of this are those who believe that by creating their own business they will not have to work or that in a couple of months they will double the income they had with their old job. Here the following significant question may arise: Are you willing to wait six months to make your business profitable?

It is important to make our client think about these questions and reflect on how willing he/she is to face the challenges that may arise along the way. Through meaningful questions, many will notice that they are not as determined to start a new business as they thought, while others will be reaffirmed in their positions and will have more solid elements to maintain their motivation for longer.

Try to evaluate your client's profile and highlight the aspects where you notice that insecurities or deficiencies abound. Formulate questions focused on these aspects and let the client have the necessary time to consider the possible answers, always emphasizing that they should be as sincere as possible for the exercise to have effective results.