I will be the first to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with being questioned. On one hand, I value the concept of fact-finding and genuine interest from another person to the point where I want to know more. However, on the other hand, I loathe situations where I’m being asked questions that have zero relevance to the topic at hand. To me, it also shows the other person either isn’t listening or isn’t being honest in their thought process.
However, on thinking back to the earlier stages of my career in residential telecom, I certainly learned the right questions to ask and the right timing to ask them. I viewed these questions as a roadmap to help me get to the desired end: a closed sale.
Given how highly beneficial these qualifying questions proved to be for my career, why does it seem as though qualifying customers properly is becoming a lost artform of sorts? It seems like, in commercial AV, it has become more and more challenging to gather the important pieces of intel that can turn a good project into a great one. So, how do we correct that? It’s quite simple! So, let’s examine how!
Asking the Right Questions
I mentioned earlier that I learned the proper questions to ask while working in telecom and how those questions guided me through the process. However, these questions were not something tangible that was handed down to me. Rather, they were “commonsense” intel that I knew I needed to have in order to position myself for the sale. For example, if a customer is interested in a cable television service for their home, I knew that I needed information on how many televisions they had and their specific channels of interest.
Without these questions, how else would one know the starting point for mapping out their system, as well as the costs associated? While discussing commercial internet services with prospective clients, the questioning is not much different. It is important to know the approximate number of devices currently on the network, the number of employees, and the pain points they might currently be experiencing, such as poor streaming quality and dropped VoIP calls.
That last one is perhaps one of the more important; especially as it pertains to any audio/video system. It’s a factor that we need to consider in order to serve our customers in the best way possible. Turning to current commercial AV projects, the biggest question is this: Where do we even get started? Moreover, how do we know what a good question is and isn’t?
To help my fellow AV pros, I have compiled a list of my top five questions to ask clients when discussing AV projects. In this list, I’ve also explained why it is so important to ask the questions. The full list is as follows:
Q1: What is the application?
This is a perfect example of a “commonsense” qualifying question for AV projects. When working in audio and video, how can one even start designing a system if they do not know the end user, the business or the vertical? I can recall countless times where I have been approached with a project, and all it says is, “Smith & Young are trying to upgrade their audio.” But what does this Smith & Young do? Do they run a sports bar, a law firm, a clothing store, etc.?
Once you know the vertical, you will then have a vague idea in your head of what the customer is trying to accomplish. For instance, if it is a sports bar, they may have live music, stream the big game every week or simply need to stream music during dinnertime. Regardless of whether any of these vague assumptions are right or wrong, you will at least have a small roadmap of where the thoughts and questions go from there. What that sports bar may need could be vastly different from what a quiet law firm office will require. Thus, understanding the application is incredibly important and a great place to start.
Q2: What are the dimensions?
Oh, how I love this one! It honestly seems to be one of the hardest pieces of information to gather but is a crucial question for AV projects. On a recent webinar I participated in, we discussed the house of worship vertical. Here, I risked sounding like a broken record as I repeated, “these [houses of worship] are not one size fits all.” Nevertheless, it rings true. The number of speakers that I use in a small, rural church will most likely not be the same as what I recommend for the sprawling campus that features a stage, large auditorium, attached atrium, school and more.
Therefore, when someone says, “I need speakers and an amplifier for a church,” my first thought is to find out what the dimensions are including the ceiling height. In fact, a lot of the system-configurator tools that I use to help design systems will not even allow me to progress through until I punch in the dimensions.
On the other side of the equation, I have customers who will simply ask for a certain quantity of speakers. I could easily sell them what they ask for, or I could still ask for project details and dimensions to make sure what they are using is the best possible fit. There was one particular instance, a few years back, where a customer asked for six ceiling speakers. When I asked for general information, I then determined that he needed to double that amount to achieve the result they were looking for. Thus, dimensions will always make a difference!
Q3: What are the pain points?
As I said earlier, this question was very important. Now, let me tell you why. Customers have needs and wants. There are reasons behind those needs and wants and you have to try to find out what those reasons are. For instance: Are they trying to refresh an older system? Did they recently blow out a speaker? Do they want to add wall-mounted volume control for easier system use? What are they trying to correct as it relates to the AV?
I am always sure to refer to these pain points during my conversations with the customer. One way I would approach them is by saying, “Mr. Smith, you said previously that these speakers would be used in a school gymnasium, and you were afraid of basketballs or other objects damaging them. Because of this, I think we should look at….”
By asking the customer upfront what they are trying to correct/improve on, it will serve as a road map for knowing what products to avoid. I now won’t recommend pendant speakers because they could be “targets” for children in gym class!
Q4: Tell me about the rest of the system?
This question is one that I do not see being asked very much, but, again, it seems so obvious. Not only do we want to know the application, dimensions and existing pain points but we also want to know what else is being connected or controlled. For example, I am currently involved in an AV project where I asked this question and the customer replied in such great detail. He told me they are going to keep 14 of the existing speakers, two of the amplifiers and more. Not only that, he also revealed the exact make and model of the existing equipment.
This is the kind of detail that can make or break a project. Imagine recommending an amplifier without knowing what existing speakers were being used. I would guess that 30 days later, I would likely receive a call asking why two of the client’s speakers had blown from not using the proper amp!
If talking about a control system, ask the client what they want you to control. This could include lights, projector, shades, meeting-room scheduling, etc. All of this determines what hardware to recommend. It may also help uncover something intangible such as the color of the wall controls, or if they want wall mount or tabletop touchpanels and so much more.
Q5: Is there a set budget that I should be aware of?
While this is not a top priority to me personally, it is a “nice-to-have” piece of information. I can certainly build up a BOM without it, but I would like to know what the customer is envisioning. Thinking back to another recent inquiry that I was involved in; the customer was looking for audio to fill a cafeteria on their office campus. While some types of distributed audio system might’ve worked best (ceiling speakers, amp, volume control, possible mics, etc.), it turned out that budget, portability and Bluetooth were all bigger factors. Could we achieve “good sound” for this particular application, for these specific dimensions, while addressing the pain points and tight budget of the customer? The answer to all of that was yes.
By using two portable PA loudspeakers, we cut costs while still meeting the needs and wants of the client. While I could’ve gone through and built an entire system for them, that would’ve been triple their preplanned budget. This would’ve resulted in us going back to the drawing board. By asking this ahead of time, in a polite manner, I saved time and addressed their needs. This also showed not only that I listened to everything they told me but also that I kept it front of mind.
Ensuring Success Rates on Projects
There are dozens and dozens of additional questions that could be asked, but over my time in both telecom and commercial AV, I have noticed a correlation between these five questions and a higher satisfaction/success rate on projects. As I repeatedly say to customers, “I can provide a quote based on the information I have, but, the more detail I have, the better.” Why use extra resources redrawing a BOM or driving out to a customer’s location for another meeting when we can solve just about anything by asking the proper qualifying questions?
The best part about these five questions is not only do they create that road map for you, but you will learn to implement your own follow-up questions as you go along. You will then become an expert at particular subjects such as verticals, specific hardware or customer needs.
The desired result will be customer satisfaction, more closed projects and more business for everyone. Plus, what I consider to be just as important — furthering our own education to set us up for the future and to set us apart from our competitors!
Rob Voorhees is business development manager at Exertis Almo.
