Comments on: Over-Delivering For Your Client Starts With These 5 Questions

By: Where I've Been | AJ Vaynerchuk

Where I've Been | AJ Vaynerchuk — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:19:32 +0000

[...] of content creation over at the VaynerMedia blog. Here are two of my most recent articles: “Over-Delivering for your Client Starts With These 5 Questions, and 10 “Top 10″ Lists Every Entrepreneur Should [...]

By: Box Scores, Nov. 16-22 – “Risks, Twitter Sins & The Year Of Nothing” « Work. Play. Do Good.

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:21:42 +0000

[...] -“Over-Delivering For Your Client Starts With These 5 Questions” [...]

By: AJ Vaynerchuk

AJ Vaynerchuk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:20:54 +0000

Thanks Seth, completely agree. I think your point falls under #3 – “Why Do We Want To Accomplish These Goals?”

You have to poke and prod. It is important to both you and the client that their money spent… is money spent well.

By: AJ Vaynerchuk

AJ Vaynerchuk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:19:37 +0000

Don, great point! At VaynerMedia we’re very fortunate to have a solid network of smart, nice people. We always bring that to the table and clients obviously find that to be a major positive!

By: Seth Elliott

Seth Elliott — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:22:16 +0000

Perhaps implicit in your post – and the two comments thus far – is the issue of whether the client understands (and can articulate) what they want.

In some cases, clients find the litany of “why” and “what” questions frustrating, as they want to move immediately to action.

Of course, in those are invariably the circumstances where asking the questions and initiating the dialogue proves to be most important…

By: Don Davidson

Don Davidson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:52:05 +0000

#5 is huge in a couple of ways. Some clients may not be able to execute certain strategies simply because of the regulatory handcuffs their industry places on them. For others it may simply be a comfort issue.

One of my favorite questions is to ask is how I can help the client’s business indirect of the services I offer. In other words, who can I introduce to them that would be in need of their services/products. In playing the business matchmaker role, it’s one of those rare instances where you gain nothing and everything at the same time.

By: AJ Vaynerchuk

AJ Vaynerchuk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:21:35 +0000

Sarah, thanks so much for the kind words! If I come up with more questions to ask, I will surely post them here

By: Sarah LaLiberte

Sarah LaLiberte — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:03:22 +0000

Thank you for pulling together such a great list. I’m amazed at how many times we, too, have heard requests for work to begin — right now. We have to be sensitive to timing of information and there is so much more to the big picture that expedited efforts can not only product sub-par results, but can actually damage well-developed messages. Unfortunately there is no one list of master questions to ask every single client. Listening, as you note, is the key to understanding. Keep asking “why?” until you learn the truth. Thanks!

By: AJ Vaynerchuk

AJ Vaynerchuk — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:02 +0000

Chris, thanks so much for the kind words. Completely agree – it is vital to understand the motive and game plan before all else.

By: Chris Leone

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:07:46 +0000

Good, fundamental list, AJ. I’ve found many of my own clients eager to jump into the social media space (or any marketing initiative for that matter) just for the sake of doing it. It amazes me how challenging a question “what are you trying to accomplish” can be for a company’s marketer or even owner!

Starting with a vision is so vital yet so often overlooked.