As a business owner you have all kinds of ideas about what products and services you want to offer to your clients. If you’re like me, you probably think about it a lot.

The question is, do your clients really want what you are offering? Are you meeting their needs and helping them with the issues that are most important to them?

Imagine being able to see inside of your client’s brains and know what they are thinking. It is actually possible and you don’t have to be a mind reader. The way to find out is to ask!

Yes, the ultimate marketing source is each of your clients. They know better than anyone what they want and need. It seems obvious yet many business owners don’t ask their clients specific questions about how they can best serve them. To get you started, here are some examples.

You can ask

Sub Prime Loan Bust Extends To Fair Isaac
Fair Isaac has taken a big hit as many people are pointing the blame for the sub prime loan bust on the FICO credit scoring model. Fair Isaac is also seeing a decline in business due to the current credit crisis that is making the demand for any type of loan product very low. The credit crisis has left many people weary or even unable to get approval for any type of loans which means that less people are having their FICO credit scores checked.
Is Home Loan Forgiveness Worth It?
Many lenders are offering their lendees financial assistance with their home loan by offering home loan forgiveness. For many people who are finding themselves in trouble with paying their bills this may seem like a great idea, but in truth it could be potentially harmful. With home loan forgiveness an amount will be forgiven off the loan itself therefore lowering the payments, but the lender will report the money that is forgiven to the IRS which in return the lendee will have to pay taxes on at the end of the year. A person that is considering home loan forgiveness should carefully determine whether this option is the best for their financial circumstances.
How To Get Out Of Credit Card Debt Faster
It is very easy to swipe a credit card and then find oneself later in a large amount of debt. Many people are unaware that the minimum payment that they are making each month on their credit card is simply not enough and that if they want to get their credit card debt down they need to make higher monthly payments. Another key in getting out of credit card debt is that once the money is paid down on the card it is imperative to not use the credit card and accrue any more debt. If there is a need for financial assistance, using an online payday advance can be more debt friendly than using a credit card.
How Your Credit Card Reflects On Your Credit Report
There are many determining factors that make up a persons credit score and one of the major factors considered is a persons credit card history. Having a credit card or even numerous credit cards is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to how a persons credit score is scored. In fact, a person with credit cards that pays on their cards in a timely manner and keeps a balance of the card can actually gain a higher credit score than a person who completely pays off their credit card.
The Importance Behind Checking Your Credit Report
The accuracy of ones credit score is very important when it comes to the rates in which a person may receive a loan. Since it is very common for human error to occur when data is being entered on a persons credit report is imperative for people to check their credit report for inaccuracies.
Finally A Cut In Interest Rates
The economy has been hindered recently with high rise in home loan defaults and other economic crisis so when the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percent, a sigh was heard across America. The recent cut of interest rates means that home loans and auto loans will be available with lower rates. The recent interest rate cut was one waited for four years and has caused economy to show more activity then it has in the past.
Cash Advance Loans Are Great For Vacations
When the situation arises to where you may be trying to go on vacation, but the only time that you can take off from work falls in between paychecks, online cash advance loans can get you the money you will be receiving with your upcoming payday. Online cash advance loans are loans in which can be applied for online and received via direct deposit. Cash advance loans can get you up to $600 from your upcoming payday and requires no credit checks.
Stay Up With Vegas With An Online Payday Advance
Going to Vegas is great, but what happens when you run out of money? With an online payday advance the money you need to continue your vacation in style is available up to $600. An online payday advance allows people to have direct access to their payday when they are on vacation and even when they are not on vacation.
Payday Loans Are Great Short Term Loans
When a need for immediate cash arises, payday loans are the quickest way in which one can acquire the money that they need. Payday loans are loans which can be applied for online and can be used for any financial situation one may have in their life. Payday loans are quick and easy to acquire and allow people to avoid the embarrassment of being turned down for a loan from a bank or family and friends.
Stay On Track With Payday Loans
Payday loans are the perfect answer for any person with any credit situation to get the money they need to handle their finances. When a person needs extra money, the money can easily be attained by simply going online and filling out a quick application for a payday loan. The funds from the approved payday loan are deposited directly into the applicants bank account and repaid in the same manner.

your clients questions about:

- Existing products and services

- New products and services

- The biggest obstacles they face

- What might be missing from your offer

So now you know what you want to find out, but how do you do it? There are many ways to ask your clients are thinking. Here are some ideas to get you started.

You can:

* Call them yourself

* Hire a third party to call them

* Send them a survey in the mail

* Create an on-line survey (Survey Monkey offers a free option
http://www.surveymonkey.com and has a helpful demo)

Since you are asking your clients to spend a few minutes of their time, it is normal to give them a reason to answer your questions. What could you give to your clients as a way to say thank you for their willingness to share their insights with you?

What about:

> Offer to include everyone who answers into a lottery to win a valuable prize

> Give valuable information to everyone who completes the survey

> Offer a discount on future purchases to people who respond

Ready to stop guessing what your clients need and find out directly from them what they really want? First, think about the best questions you can ask. Questions that will reveal information that you will be able to use to create products and services that will really help your clients.

Next, take a look at your client base and decide on the best method to use to ask them your questions. Then offer your clients something in exchange for their cooperation. Once you have the results of your survey, analyze it and create something your clients are really waiting for!

(c) 2006

Stephanie Ward, MA