Questions to Ask Potential Customers Before Starting a Business

Questions to Ask Potential Customers Before Starting a Business_

Do you agree that seeking information about target clients plays an important part in business? If yes, then, you need to know the kind of questions to ask potential customers before starting a business.

Gathering information about your target customers assures you that you’re spending your money the right way.

It also helps you build a buyer ‘persona’.

The persona is an imaginative representation of your business’ ideal customer.

It should be based on real data and market research.

You can use customer surveys and target market questions to build one for your business.

Creating a buyer persona enables you to know your potential customers better.

This is very important because you will need to produce marketing assets, such as email campaigns, brochures, and presentations.

New business survey questions

The assets must use language that your target audience understands.

With this, you can convert prospects into customers.

Having a detailed buyer persona is beneficial for your business.

When you are creating a buyer persona, consider people’s behavior patterns, goals, and motivations.

Remember that your market research will not be complete until you are done asking your target audience the questions in the following section.

New Business Survey Questions

Who Are You?

Market research questions to ask potential customers

This must be the number one question in your customer survey.

Demographic information or personal information is vital to any kind of study, research, or survey.

This information enables you to describe your target buyer and allows you to shape your business.

It also sets the foundation of the buyer persona that you are trying to form.

Also, it may provide an answer to any of the following questions.

  • Are they male or female?
  • Are they old or young?
  • What is their status; single, child-free, or married individuals?

The answers to your first question provide the framework for your market research. With it, you can know the types of people to approach for the rest of your research.

How Old Are You?

Target market survey questions

This is one key question to ask your potential customers before starting your business.

Aside from basic demographic factors, such as sex, education level, religion, and marital status, ‘chronological age’ also matters for your survey.

Chronological age is the number of years a particular individual has lived.

It is used as a standard against certain variables like intelligence and behavior.

You should know the generation that your potential customers belong to.

For example, people who are in their 40s may not be attracted by trends associated with technology.

Via What Medium Do You Read Your News?

Questions to ask your target audience

Knowing the news and information sources of your target people reveals areas you must concentrate on. This is vital to your marketing and paid advertising efforts.

If you are utilizing new business strategy questions, you must post them on platforms that reach your prospective buyers.

Facebook and other social media are good advertising platforms.

You can customize your advertising campaign on some social media sites.

When you are done asking your target audience, you can formulate an accurate buyer persona.

Use the data you have gathered to know more about the people that you have to reach with your advertising campaigns.

Why Do You Buy?

Target market surveys

Knowing the reasons why someone would want to buy or find out about your product or service enables you to position your marketing efforts correctly.

For example, you plan to sell Gothic themed t-shirts in Los Angeles, California.

However, this style is not so popular in the area.

When you conducted your customer survey in different locations, it revealed the people in LA do not embrace the style.

In contrast, Gothic-themed products are extremely popular among teenagers in Ontario, Canada.

Surveys before launching a business also determine the factors that can attract people to your enterprise, establishment, or product.

What Are You Worried About?

Target market questions

This is another important question to ask potential customers as you start your business.

You can use your potential customer’s problems, stressors, and fears in a positive way.

If your service or product can solve a common problem of a specific group of people, your product will be a hit in the market.

What Are Your Goals?

Understanding your ideals clients’ dreams, and goals will help you serve them, better.

This gives you an insight into what they want for their lives.

When you understand their goals, dreams, and visions, you can tap into their aspirations and where possible position yourself to meet their needs.

This is particularly applicable if your product or service will get them one step closer to achieving their goals.

How Much Do You Earn?

You must know whether your target people can afford your product or not. If they can’t, it will be hard for you to gain profit.

Where Do You Work?

Audience survey questions

This is a personal question to ask a potential customer when starting your business.

Some people may be reluctant to answer you.

However, the information you get from this inquiry is vital for your business.

You don’t need to ask them about the exact address of their workplace.

Just find out their field and the industry they are working on.

You can also use this chance to ask your survey participants to share their experience with your product or service to their friends and colleagues.

Give them freebies or discount coupons in exchange for your request.

Questionnaire for business plan

With this, you spread the name of your business among a group of like-minded individuals.

For example, most of your first customers are fond of Gothic styles.

For sure, they will inform their friends that there is a new Gothic-themed shop in town.

This market strategy also exposes your service or product to new prospects and new places.

Where Do You Spend Your Money?

Questions to ask potential customers

Where do your potential customers shop for their necessities?

What brands do they prefer?

It is important that your potential customers answer this question before you start your business.

Learning about your prospects’ shopping interests can help you look for marketing partners.

It also allows you to know the characteristics or aspects of the products they buy that they prefer.

What Are Your Hobbies?

This is another extremely personal question.

However, it will be easy for you to get answers from this inquiry.

Favorite movies, books, and hobbies provide additional knowledge into your potential customers’ preferences.

Also, they give you something to talk about with your survey participant.

People are willing to answer questions and chat about things they like.

Questions to Ask Potential Customers Before Starting a Business Infographic

Questions to ask potential customers before starting a business infographic

Wrap Up Questions To Ask Potential Customers

Good market research questions

Once you have asked the basic questions, you can proceed to ask the most specific ones.

Such questions provide you with revealing answers.

You can use them to further shape your business for your target audience.

  • Would you recommend our business to others?
  • If you could change one thing about our product, what would it be?
  • What other option will you consider if you don’t choose us?
  • What makes us the obvious choice?
  • Do you have anything else to say?

After you are done asking your target audience with new business survey questions, do not forget to thank them.

Product market research questions

The feedback from your potential customers and what you do with the data you have gathered can make or break your business.

Many prospective startup owners ignore the importance of customer survey and target market questions.

Do not ignore the importance of knowing your customers before launching your business.

Do you feel the above questions are enough to give you a reasonable idea of your potential customers before starting your business?

We would love to know your thoughts!

Click on Buy Now For a PDF Version of This Blog Post

 
PayPal Acceptance Mark

Buy Now
questions to ask potential customers