Questions to Ask Entrepreneurial Clients

By CPC Mastermind, Lysa Appleton.

As a Career Professional, you may find that most of your clients are seeking opportunities with employers. However, from time to time, you may meet a client who has an interesting idea for an entrepreneurial business. It helps to have a set of questions handy for such a circumstance.

Below are some questions I work through with my entrepreneurial clients. Feel free to keep this list handy in case you encounter an “entrepreneurial client” or if you are considering starting your own career service.

Phase 1: YOUR VISION & MISSION

If the business is in the pre-launch phase:

• If you could write the vision and mission statement for your dream business, what would it look like?
• What would your work look like?
• Who would you be serving?
• How would your friends or family describe what you do best?
• How does your business feed your vision for your life?
• What do you do in your work with your clients?
• What is at the heart of what you are passionate about?
• What do you wish people knew about your work?
• What difference do you want to make?
• What gap would you like to fill?
• What ideas, beliefs, activities, etc. do you need to let go of to do your work?

If the business is already up and running:

• Within the work you do, what is the best part?
• What makes you feel the most exhilarated?
• The most useful?
• The most connected to the right people, or the people you love to work with?
• The most seen for who you really are or want to be?
• What showcases your strengths?

Phase 2: YOUR IDEAL CLIENT

• Who is your ideal client?
• What do they look like?
• What is their gender?
• How old are they?
• Are they sporty, elegant, serious, playful, etc.?
• Are they single/married, and with or without kids?
• Are they educated, spiritual, adventurous, cautious, etc.?
• What inspires them?
• What social media are they on?
• Where do they hang out?
• What products do they buy or endorse?
• What music, books, movies etc. are they talking about?
• What are some of their challenges?

Phase 3: YOUR SALES PITCH

• What do you help people to do?
• How do you help them?
• Why should they hire YOU?

I hope some of this is helpful and I’m looking forward to hearing your tips!

Resources:

Book Yourself Solid Free Workbook by Michel Port.
Think and Grow Rich For Women by Sharon Lechter.